Description
A refreshing and vibrant Fennel, Radicchio, and Citrus Salad combining the crisp anise flavor of fennel, the slightly bitter crunch of radicchio, and the bright, juicy sweetness of orange and grapefruit, all brought together with a creamy honey Dijon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 small bulbs fennel
- 1 small head radicchio (or 1/2 head if large)
- 1 orange
- 1 pink grapefruit
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- 1 fistful fennel fronds
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar (or other mild white vinegar)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey Dijon mustard (if using regular Dijon mustard, add a dab of honey as well)
Instructions
- Prepare the fennel: Trim the stalks from the fennel bulbs and peel off any rough outer leaves. Using a mandoline slicer or a very sharp knife, slice the fennel bulbs into 1/8 inch thin slices. Remove the core if your fennel bulbs are large. Reserve the leafy fronds for garnish and optionally for the dressing.
- Prevent browning: If your sliced fennel begins to brown, place it immediately into a bowl of cold water with some lemon juice to maintain its fresh color and crispness.
- Prepare the radicchio: If the radicchio is whole, halve it and remove the core. Then thinly slice or shred the radicchio to create bite-sized pieces for the salad.
- Segment the citrus: Peel the orange and grapefruit carefully, removing all the white pith. Segment or slice the citrus into thin pieces for layering in the salad.
- Assemble the salad: Arrange the sliced radicchio, fennel, and citrus segments attractively on a serving plate or platter.
- Make the dressing: Combine olive oil, champagne vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and honey Dijon mustard in a jar large enough to accommodate your immersion blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, tasting and adjusting acidity or seasoning as needed. For an herbal note, blend in more fennel fronds if desired.
- Dress and garnish: Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of reserved fennel fronds for a fresh, aromatic touch.
Notes
- Removing the fennel core is optional if the bulbs are young and small.
- Using an immersion blender helps to achieve a creamy, emulsified dressing but whisking by hand can also work.
- Adjust the acidity of the dressing by adding more lemon juice or vinegar to suit your taste.
- To keep fennel slices crisp and white, soak them in cold water with lemon juice immediately after slicing.
- This salad is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to a few hours before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Fennel salad, citrus salad, radicchio salad, Mediterranean salad, fresh salad, no-cook salad, healthy salad
