Insalata Di Arance E Finocchi – Fennel and Orange Salad
By: Iose'
Published: Saturday, May 1, 2010 - 8:52am

Ingredients




1 large fennel bulb (reserve some fronds for later for decoration)
2 oranges (Sicilian blood oranges or navel)
1/2 an orange juiced
2 tablespoons quality extra virgin olive oil
10 to 15 Black olives (optional)
1/4 cup Red onion very thinly sliced (optional)

Preparation

1 Cut the fennel bulb in quarters and slice it thinly crosswise.  Peel each orange, slice in rounds or chop small. Whisk together the oil and juice in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl and season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. 2 Serves 3 people 3 Tip: If you’re not a vegetarian this salad is a perfect match for sweet fennel Italian sausages but even on its own it makes a perfect salad!

About


Often times we take things for granted in our lives and we only appreciate them when we don’t have them anymore, or when we realize that what we thought was part of everyday life is not. I grew up in ‘una villetta con giardino’, a small house in Sicily with a beautiful garden full of olive, lemon, mandarin and orange trees. Back then I didn’t think of it as a special gift, I thought it was normal. My mom used to make us fresh squeezed oranges juice all the time and a delicious salad with orange and fennel, which is a typical dish in Sicily. The mix of these two ingredients together might sound unusual but the taste of it is very unique and refreshing. There are different versions of this salad but I personally like the original and simple one. It’s raw, fresh and quite easy to make.