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Insalata di arance e finocchi

Orange and fennel salad

Insalata di arance e finocchi: Sicily's winter orange and fennel salad with olives

In Sicily the orange harvest peaks in January, just as wild fennel and the big fennel bulbs come in, and this bright salad is on the table across the island at Christmas and through the winter, often to clean the palate after a rich main dish. Juicy oranges, ideally blood oranges from the slopes of Etna, are sliced with shaved fennel, red onion, black olives and good olive oil. Chef's tip: cut the peel and all the white pith away with a knife, then slice the oranges into rounds; pith is bitter and makes the salad chewy.
Total time
15 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (2)

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Soak ½ small red onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften its bite, then drain.

    10 min
  2. Step 2: Cut the top and bottom off 4 oranges or blood oranges, then cut away the peel and white pith in strips, following the curve of the fruit. Slice into rounds and save the juice. Common mistake: leaving pith on; it's bitter.

  3. Step 3: Trim 1 fennel bulb and slice it very thinly, ideally on a mandoline.

  4. Step 4: Arrange the oranges and fennel on a plate. Scatter over the onion and 1 ¾ oz black olives.

  5. Step 5: Drizzle with the orange juice and 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, season with ½ tsp flaky salt and ½ tsp black pepper and top with chopped fennel fronds. Serve within an hour.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
150 kcal
Protein
2 g
Carbs
18 g
Fat
8 g
Fibre
5 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does insalata di arance e finocchi take?
About 15 minutes in total.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?
Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of oranges or blood oranges?
Mandarins or clementines, same weight.
What can I use instead of small red onion?
White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).

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