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Side Dishes

Sicilian Orange and Fennel Salad

Orange and Fennel Salad is a fresh, easy traditional Sicilian recipe, perfect with seafood main courses or as a one-dish meal for a quick lunch.
Recipe Sicilian Orange and Fennel Salad
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 10 minutes
  • Servings for 4 people

There is a very famous dish in Sicily designed specifically to go with all those rich, hearty recipes typical of the island. It is Orange and Fennel Salad, which, made with the original Sicilian recipe, gives you a perfectly balanced dish that works both as a side and as an appetizer. This traditional recipe is also a vegan salad in every respect, perfect for those who follow this kind of diet.

As with many Sicilian recipes, the ingredients of Orange and Fennel Salad are few, but like every traditional dish they must be very fresh and, if possible, local. The oranges (whether Tarocco, Ribera or Sanguinella blood oranges) should be Sicilian, while an exception can be made for the fennel, which must still be fresh and crisp. The dish is then flavored with black olives and a sort of citronette, a dressing made with the orange juice.

Among our other Sicilian recipes, we recommend trying Sicilian Cartocci or the incredible Cassata Siciliana. For a tasty side dish, Sicilian-Style Stuffed Artichokes are the ideal recipe.

Ingredients for 4 people

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Method

  1. To make the Sicilian Orange and Fennel Salad, start by washing the fennel bulbs well.
  2. Cut them in half and, once the central core is removed, slice them thinly. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside for now.
  3. Peel the oranges to the flesh, that is, remove the peel by cutting just below the white pith so that the flesh of the fruit shows, then slice them, again with the knife. This removes all the white pith, which is responsible for the bitter taste. Add the oranges to the fennel.
  4. Separately, whisk the oil, the orange juice, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper with a fork and use the resulting emulsion to dress your salad.
  5. Finish by garnishing with the black olives and, if you like, some orange zest and a few dill fronds. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!
    Sicilian orange salad

Variations and Alternatives

There are many versions of Sicilian Orange and Fennel Salad that add ingredients such as Tropea red onion or chopped salt-packed or oil-packed anchovies.

Tips

Orange and Fennel Salad can be prepared in advance, but it is very important to dress it at the last minute: salt tends to soften the fennel, making it lose its characteristic crunch.

Storage

For the reason above, Sicilian Orange and Fennel Salad does not keep well once dressed.

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