Description
Ready in just 10-15 minutes without any cooking, this vibrant blood orange salad with fennel and carrots is packed with fresh flavor. Thinly sliced fennel, carrots, and blood oranges form the base of this vegetarian and gluten free winter salad that is dressed simply with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Ingredients
- 3 blood oranges
- 1 medium bulb fennel
- 2 medium carrots
- 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
- 2-3 ounces feta, crumbled
- 1 large handful fresh mint leaves, torn or roughly chopped
- sea salt, to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
Instructions
Cut off the very top and bottom off of each blood orange, then slice off the skin/pith. Slice each blood orange into rounds that are about ¼-inch thick (see photos).
Remove the stems and fronds from the fennel and set aside for another use. You can reserve some of the fronds for garnish if you like! Cut the fennel in half, then remove and discard the core at the base/root end. Thinly slice the fennel with your knife or a mandoline. Remove the very top and bottom of each carrot. Either scrub well or remove the outer peel if you prefer. Then, use the vegetable peeler to slice the carrot into thin ribbons (see photos).
Layer the fennel, carrots, and blood oranges onto a large platter. Scatter over the chopped pistachios, crumbled feta, mint leaves, and some fennel fronds if you like. Season with salt then drizzle some of the olive oil and red wine vinegar over the top. Taste, then add more salt, oil, or vinegar as needed.
Serve and enjoy immediately! Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 1-2 days.
Notes
- This salad is best enjoyed once it’s made before the veggies and herbs start to wilt. To keep sliced fennel and carrots crisp, you can stick them in a bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using in the salad.
- Navel oranges or clementines can be used in place of the blood oranges if you don’t have any.
- Use raw pistachios for a more buttery flavor and roasted onces for a more nutty flavor.
- If you don’t have mint, you can use an equal amount of fresh basil or cilantro.
- Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
- Category: salad, Side Dish