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    Home » Soups + Salads

    Citrus Fennel Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

    Published on Dec 18, 2019 · Modified on Sep 26, 2024 by Kathryn - Leave a comment · 8 Comments

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    Even if you don't love fennel, this Citrus Fennel Salad with avocado will convince you to change your mind. It's refreshing, seasonal, and so sunny on these cold days.

    Okay, so this blog has turned into a dessert blog lately because 'tis the season, but we actually do continue to eat healthy things around here every now and then during these crazy weeks. Just a little.

    citrus fennel salad with grapefruit vinaigrette

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    This Citrus Fennel Salad was a really nice detox after a weekend of binging on all sorts of junk food. Like this Pea Salad with Radishes, Ricotta and Mint, there's no lettuce in this salad. Citrus is just absolutely lovely this time of year and reminds me of Christmas morning, where we'd always get an orange in our stocking. I don't think any of us ever ate our orange come to think of it, but as an adult, I'd love to peel, cut, and add that orange to this salad now. Hindsight is 20/20.

    fresh ingredients are much needed this time of year

    Fennel 101 for the Reluctant

    Are you fennel reluctant? Me, too. I'm serious. I can do fennel in a few different things, mainly sausage (The Red Hen in DC makes this killer rigatoni with fennel sausage that's delightfully simple yet so delicious and it's one of the best pastas I've ever had and I could go on and on and on about it...)...and this Citrus Fennel Salad.

    fennel is delicious - give it a try in this salad even if you don't like the taste because the acidity of the fruit does something magical to the fennel

    Fennel looks like a mix between an onion (because of the bulb) and celery because of the stalk. It also has these fronds that resemble dill. Fennel is actually part of the carrot family though. It's very aromatic and has a pretty bold, anise-like flavor. Think black licorice in vegetable form. But guess what? I don't like black licorice.

    Then why do I like it raw in this salad? The naval oranges and Ruby red grapefruit do something amazing to the fennel, so I have no problem eating raw fennel in this salad...and trust me. I despise licorice. Fennel is absolutely delicious though when paired with the acidity in the oranges and grapefruit and the soft, mild avocado. Then the fresh mint just takes this salad over the edge of the deliciousness cliff.

    this salad is great for a crowd or for one.

    Ingredients in this Citrus Fennel Salad

    This salad is stupid simple:

    • grapefruit
    • oranges
    • fennel
    • avocado
    • mint
    • olive oil
    • honey
    • salt and pepper
    all of the ingredients in the citrus fennel salad: grapefruit, oranges, avocado, fennel, and mint

    How to segment grapefruit and oranges

    Easy peasy, but if you've never done it before, watch this video for how to peel and segment a grapefruit or this one that uses an orange. It's the same technique for either. In this salad, I actually segmented my grapefruit and sliced my oranges because the oranges were pretty small.

    easy peasy this citrus fennel salad can be made in about 5 minutes

    Preparing and shaving fennel

    To prepare your fennel for this salad, you'll first need to cut the stalks off. You only need the bulb of the fennel (although you could save the fronds for garnishing because they're pretty, whispy little things). You can then remove the outer layer of the fennel if it's damaged or tough. Then cut the bulb in half lengthwise and make a triangle cut to remove the core on both sides.

    core your fennel after you cut the bulb in half

    Once the core has been removed along with any outer layers that need to go, you'll either shave the fennel with the help of a mandoline or cut finely with a knife. I'm totally in love with my mandoline, but be super careful because I know people who have sliced their fingers off from one (no joke). It has an incredibly sharp blade that is not to be messed with. I wear these cut-resistant gloves (also no joke) when I'm using a mandoline because I really like my fingers.

    this citrus fennel salad would be great for company because it's beautiful and colorful

    Grapefruit Vinaigrette

    I absolutely love using all parts of a food (like the tops of carrots in this carrot top pesto), and once you segment the grapefruit -- don't throw it away! You'll squeeze the remaining juice out and use it in the vinaigrette. It's a very simple vinaigrette -- nothing fancy -- and won't take you much effort to put together. Just add your grapefruit, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper to a jar and give it a good shake. Done! My 5 year old is my grapefruit vinaigrette hand model below...complete with Play-doh in his fingernails.

    this grapefruit vinaigrette requires only 5 ingredients: grapefruit juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper.

    Okay, that's all folks. Let's try to get some greens in amongst all the junk!

    xox

    kathryn

    As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    citrus avocado fennel salad

    Citrus Fennel Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

    Even if you don’t love fennel, this Citrus Fennel Salad with avocado will convince you to change your mind. It’s refreshing, seasonal, and so sunny on these cold days.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    For the salad

    • 2 bulbs fennel, cored and shaved
    • 1 Ruby red grapefruit, peeled and segmented
    • 2 naval oranges, peeled and segmented or sliced
    • 2 avocados, cubed
    • 12 large mint leaves, torn in small pieces

    For the vinaigrette:

    • ¼ cup fresh grapefruit juice
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • In an old jar, shake vinaigrette ingredients together.
    • Place salad ingredients on a platter and toss with vinaigrette just before serving.

    Notes

    Storage: Store salad (without avocado and dressing) in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.  Salad will be fresh for 3-4 days without the avocado or dressing. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @wornslapout or tag #wornslapout!

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    Comments

      5 from 9 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Alexandra says

      December 22, 2019 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      This is such a beautiful, colourful salad! I love the combination of citrus and fennel - delicious!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        December 26, 2019 at 9:42 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks so much, Alexandra. It's been on repeat for my lunches lately...and I haven't gotten sick of it yet!

        Reply
    2. Deanna Hill says

      December 22, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      I love fennel and this was such a delicious way to use it. The combination with the citrus and avocado was lovely.

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        December 26, 2019 at 9:43 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks, Deanna! So glad you loved it, too!

        Reply
    3. Lizet Bowen says

      December 22, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      I've never had fennel before! I've seen it at the store, but never tried it. I want to make your salad for Christmas dinner. I'll let you know how people liked it 🙂

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        December 26, 2019 at 9:43 pm

        5 stars
        Love, love, love times a million! Hope it was a hit at your house!

        Reply
    4. Isabelle @ Crumb says

      December 22, 2019 at 9:53 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like such a bright and flavourful winter salad. I love the combination of citrus and fennel... it sounds so refreshing, especially after all that rich holiday food. I could totally faceplant in a bowl of this gorgeousness right about now. 🙂

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        December 26, 2019 at 9:44 pm

        5 stars
        Girl. I could go AT LEAST 24 hours without seeing another cookie for sure. I need a serious sweets detox!

        Reply
    picture of kathryn, owner of worn slap out food blog.

    Hi, I'm Kathryn!

    Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.


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