Last updated on October 18th, 2024
Winter time in Italy actually has some of the tastiest lettuce and produce Italy has to offer. Radicchio, blood oranges, fennel, and scarola lettuce are just some of my favorites.
Today I am going to share one of my favorite ways to enjoy two of Italy’s most popular winter ingredients: fennel and oranges. This Sicilian fennel and orange salad is the perfect combination of a sweet and juicy orange and a crunchy bite of fennel. Add a splash of fruity olive oil, salt and pepper – and the salad is done!
Not only is this recipe a snap to put together but there are a ton of variations.
Originally from Sicily, where most of Italy’s citrus is grown, this salad has fast become a winter staple in Italy, including in our household. We eat this weekly in the winter (and even into March!) because it’s a side dish that my kids will actually gobble up. It’s also chock full of vitamins and goes with so many things, which I will share with you below.
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Insalata di Finocchi e Arance (Fennel and Orange Salad) Pronunciation
Fennel and orange salad in Italian is known as insalata di finocchi e arance, pronounced in-sah-lah-TAH dee feen-OHK-kee eh ah-RAHN-cheh.
Listen to how to pronounce insalata di finocchi e arance:
Nice To Know: Insalata di finocchi e arance is also sometimes called insalata siciliana.
What is Fennel and Orange Salad?
The basic recipe for this Sicilian salad is made from thinly sliced fennel and oranges dressed in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Like meat sauce or beef stew, most regions and families have their own variations and preferences in how they like to prepare this dish. Common additions include toasted nuts, raisins, olives, capers and sometimes even small pieces of cured fish on coastal towns.
More Veg Please: Check out my list of Vegetarian Dishes to Try in Italy.
Ingredients for Orange and Fennel Salad
Serves 4 as a side dish. Prep time 15 min. total time 15
- 2 large or 3 medium oranges
- 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step-By-Step Instructions for Orange and Fennel Salad
- Slice oranges by slicing off both the top and bottom ends so it doesn’t roll when you cut away the peel. Standing the orange on one of the cut ends, cut away the peel being careful not to leave too much of the pith and to not remove the actual fruit. Proceed to cut the orange into round slices.
- Arrange orange slices on the serving platter.
- Clean the fennel bulbs: remove the fronds and set aside for garnish. Rinse the fennel under running water and remove the external, tough “leaves” or most outer shell of the bulb.
- With a sharp knife, slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Better yet, use a mandolin if you have one. Remove the inner core rings of the fennel once sliced (or as best you can).
- Gently lay the fennel on top of the orange slices and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Chop the fennel fronds and garnish.
Classic Italian Additions to Fennel and Orange Salad
- Add two Tablespoons toasted walnuts or pine nuts (I personally prefer walnuts). Toast pine nuts or roughly chopped walnuts over low heat in a saute pan for 10 minutes or so until fragrant and lightly golden. Add to the salad once cooled.
- Rehydrate two tablespoons of raisins in orange juice for 15 minutes and add to the top of the salad along with two tablespoons toasted pine nuts.
- Dress with a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Finish with capers that have been drained and rinsed.
- Add a handful of black olives, either whole or roughly chopped.
- Use blood oranges instead of regular oranges.
What to Serve Fennel and Orange Salad With
This is an amazing salad because it lightens up so many meals and brings so much color to the table. Here are our favorite ways to eat it in our house.
- with any grilled meats such as pork chops or ribs
- following a rich beef stew
- with fish that is either pan fried, grilled or baked in the oven
- as a second course after a soup
- with a mixed board of crostini and/or cured meats for a light supper or easy lunch
Notes and Tips
- Try to cut the fennel as thinly as possible. It’s very common for Italians to have meat slicers at home (because of all the cured meats they eat) so that is what I use to get my fennel very thin. A sharp knife will do just fine but take your time.
If you love Italian salads, try making:
Caprese Salad
Fennel and Orange Salad
Kale Salad with Gorgonzola
Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Panzanella
Spring Farro Salad
Tuna Salad (Mayo-Free)
Tuscan Bean Salad
Italian Orange and Fennel Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large, or 3 medium oranges
- 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice oranges by slicing off both the top and bottom ends so it doesn’t roll when you cut away the peel. Standing the orange on one of the cut ends, cut away the peel being careful not to leave too much of the pith and to not remove the actual fruit. Proceed to cut the orange into round slices.
- Arrange orange slices on the serving platter.
- Clean the fennel bulbs: remove the fronds and set aside for garnish. Rinse the fennel under running water and remove the external, tough “leaves” or most outer shell of the bulb.
- With a sharp knife, slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Better yet, use a mandolin if you have one. Remove the inner core rings of the fennel once sliced (or as best you can).
- Gently lay the fennel on top of the orange slices and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Chop the fennel fronds and garnish.
Notes
Classic Italian Additions
- Add two Tablespoons toasted walnuts or pine nuts (I personally prefer walnuts). Toast pine nuts or roughly chopped walnuts over low heat in a saute pan for 10 minutes or so until fragrant and lightly golden. Add to the salad once cooled.
- Rehydrate two tablespoons of raisins in orange juice for 15 minutes and add to the top of the salad along with two tablespoons toasted pine nuts.
- Dress with a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Finish with capers that have been drained and rinsed.
- Add a handful of black olives, either whole or roughly chopped.
- Use blood oranges instead of regular oranges.
Serve With
This is an amazing salad because it lightens up so many meals and brings so much color to the table. Here are our favorite ways to eat it in our house.- with any grilled meats such as pork chops or ribs
- following a rich beef stew
- with fish that is either pan fried, grilled or baked in the oven
- as a second course after a soup
- with a mixed board of crostini and/or cured meats for a light supper or easy lunch
Notes and Tips
- Try to cut the fennel as thinly as possible. It’s very common for Italians to have meat slicers at home (because of all the cured meats they eat) so that is what I use to get my fennel very thin. A sharp knife will do just fine but take your time.
Italian Fennel and Orange Salad Recipe FAQ
Yes. Peel as indicated above and holding the orange in your hand, slice between the pith and the flesh of the orange slices, creating segments. Squeeze out the remaining pith in your hands and use the juice to dress the salad along with the olive oil.
It’s best not too. The fennel will wilt a little and the feeling of freshness fades with time. You could, however, prepare the oranges, cover them and then do the rest when you are getting closer to sitting down to the table.
You can but they only last a day and even then, the quality and feeling of freshness that this orange and shaved fennel salad brings gets lost.