Citrus Salad With Fennel and Olives

Published Feb. 1, 2023

Citrus Salad With Fennel and Olives
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(465)
Comments
Read comments

An orange salad can be a simple affair. Add sliced oranges, a few black olives and a drizzle of oil, and it’s a winning combination, known throughout the eastern Mediterranean, southern Italy and perhaps especially in Morocco. You can up the interest factor in any number of ways. Add thinly sliced fennel and red onion, some arugula, mint or basil leaves, a sprinkling of red pepper, a pinch of wild oregano or a little flaky salt. The salad needn’t be restricted to only navel oranges. In season, blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges or grapefruit are welcome to join.

Featured in: A Bright, Bold Citrus Salad Is Just the Start of This Dinner Party Menu

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 4navel oranges
  • 4blood oranges
  • 2small ruby or Oro Blanco grapefruits
  • 2large shallots or ½ small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
  • 2small fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced into rings
  • ¼cup pitted olives, Moroccan oil-cured black or Castelvetrano green olives
  • 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
  • 1handful mint or basil leaves
  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes, such as Marash
  • Pinch of dried oregano, preferably wild
  • Flaky salt, for finishing
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

268 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 25 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 841 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To peel the citrus fruit, using a small serrated knife, cut off a thin slice of peel from the top and bottom of the orange, so it sits flat and securely on the cutting board. Cut from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Remove only the peel and white pith, not the flesh of the orange. It should be perfectly spherical and naked.

  2. Step 2

    Slice navels and blood oranges crosswise into thin slices, picking out seeds if needed. Use a paring knife to section the grapefruit into suprèmes, cutting between the membranes. Reserve any citrus juices obtained in the process.

  3. Step 3

    To serve, arrange citrus on a serving platter or on individual plates. Scatter the shallot slices over the fruit, then add thinly sliced fennel and olives. Drizzle with olive oil, about 1 tablespoon per serving, and any reserved juices. Garnish with mint or basil leaves. Sprinkle with red pepper, oregano and a prudent amount of flaky salt.

Ratings

5 out of 5
465 user ratings
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Comments

Just a warning before you substitute or add grapefruit to the salad if you’re offering it to guests: A surprising number of drugs have potentially severe interactions with grapefruit. I learned this when, at a recent brunch gathering at my home, three of the seven guests could not eat the grapefruit course.

Most citrus salads--because they are already acidic--just call for dressing with olive oil and sea salt. I often mellow the shallots or red onion by steeping in red wine vinegar for a bit (15-30 minutes) before adding them to the salad which gives a slight bite of vinegar if that's what you're looking for.

Orange salad is a standard in our household. Try macerating garlic in the olive oil you drizzle to enhance the flavor. Yum.

Only modification was serving over a bed of Bibb lettuce. Otherwise so simple yet phenomenal

Delicious and beautiful. Thanks to JBG on the grapefruit warning, and to Thia for the suggestion on mellowing the shallots. One dinner partner wanted more fennel, even.

Brought this to Easter Brunch. I used arugula (as the first layer) a suggested in the header. Skipped the grapefruit. Used the basil. It was a hit!

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