A vibrant and refreshing salad featuring fennel, a medley of citrus fruits, toasted almonds, and a rich citrus dressing.
30 minutes
A vibrant and refreshing salad featuring fennel, a medley of citrus fruits, toasted almonds, and a rich citrus dressing.
Fennel Bulb, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cored
each
Shallots, minced
each
cups
teaspoons
Toasted Almonds, coarsely chopped
cups
Navel Oranges, zested, peeled, and segmented
each
Cara Cara Oranges, zested, peeled, and segmented
each
Blood Oranges, zested, peeled, and segmented
0 large
teaspoons
teaspoons
to taste
to taste
Dates, pitted and torn into small pieces
each
each
1. Prepare Fennel
Thinly slice the fennel halves lengthwise. Place the slices in a large bowl filled with ice water. This will make the fennel crisp and refreshing. Soak until the fennel looks translucent and feels firm, about 10 minutes.
2. Pickle Shallot
Mince the shallot and place it in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to a simmer until the salt dissolves. Pour the hot mixture over the shallot to pickle it. Let it sit while you proceed to the next steps.
3. Infuse Olive Oil
Warm the extra-virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the coarsely chopped toasted almonds and let them infuse the oil. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the almonds to a paper towel to drain, reserving the flavored oil.
4. Prepare Citrus
Grate the zest from the navel, Cara Cara, and blood oranges into a bowl. Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white pith as possible. Segment the oranges by cutting between the membranes, catching any juice in the bowl with the zest.
5. Drain Almonds
Drain the almonds and reserve the infused olive oil for the dressing.
6. Make Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the citrus juice, orange zest, amber agave nectar, Dijon mustard, reserved olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until the mixture emulsifies.
7. Assemble Salad
Arrange the orange segments on a large serving platter. Sprinkle lightly with the light gray Celtic sea salt. Spoon the citrus dressing over the oranges. Top with the chilled fennel slices, torn dates, and toasted almonds. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.
Add sliced grilled chicken, seared shrimp, or flaked salmon to the core recipe to transform it into a more substantial meal. For a vegetarian protein, consider adding chickpeas or marinated tofu.
Instead of using just oranges, incorporate a variety of citrus fruits such as blood oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, or pomelos. Each fruit will bring a unique sweetness or tartness to the salad.
Incorporate thinly sliced red onion, olives, and cucumber. Replace some of the citrus with diced tomatoes, and add crumbled feta cheese. The dressing could be enhanced with some red wine vinegar and oregano.
Incorporate slices of ripe avocado to add creaminess and a rich, buttery texture that contrasts well with the crispness of the fennel and the acidity of the citrus.
Mix in some mango and avocado slices with your citrus. Add a hint of chili for heat and swap out the fennel for jicama to maintain the crunch. A lime-based dressing with cilantro could complement this version.
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