Fennel and Orange Salad (Simple and Refreshing!)

Take advantage of fresh winter produce by making this Fennel and Orange Salad. It’s bright and citrusy in flavor, and is so easy to make! This fennel salad is simple enough for every day but has a pretty enough presentation that it can easily be served for a special occasion.

Creating This Fennel Citrus Salad Recipe

Our Christmas vacation was different than expected, though actually truly enjoyable. I feel like there was a good balance between doing nothing and accomplishing something. I stayed offline almost the entire time and it was certainly a nice break from the day-to-day blogging routine.

We watched movies, stayed in our PJs, tackled lots of chores – my husband busy painting the parts of the house that hadn’t been done and touching up boo-boos made by the kids, Logan and I going through closets and doing a major de-junking of the house. The house feels so uncluttered and great now.

The part that was different than I expected was the food. I had envisioned us cooking and baking up a storm over the break from school and work, but I wasn’t really much in the mood to cook once our vacation started.

I think partly because we didn’t have company. I ended up not even making our Christmas dinner. We were all too stuffed from eating Christmas goodies all day long that a big meal didn’t sound good to us.

A Delicious Winter Salad Recipe

Instead we ate the meal originally planned for Christmas on New Years Day. It was nice in a way because by then we had gotten most of our work done and could enjoy a nice dinner. We had this Fennel and Orange Salad as part of that meal.

I’ve always had a hard time with salads in the winter. Or really, produce in general during the winter. I love fruits and vegetables but the varieties are so much more limited.

I’m trying to embrace the winter produce this season has to offer and figure out creative and different dishes that feature those offerings.

What Does Fennel Taste Like?

This fennel citrus salad is one of my new favorites. It tastes so bright and un-winter-y during this time of year.

Raw fennel has a crunchy texture and sweet anise flavor that pairs deliciously with sweet, juicy oranges, tart pomegranate seeds, and salad greens.

This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Tools Needed to Make this Fennel and Orange Salad Recipe

• Cutting Board and Sharp Knife – recommended to cut the orange slices; a chef’s knife and a pairing knife work well.
• Mandoline Slicer – you’ll need to cut the fennel into very thin slices for this fennel orange salad recipe. I prefer using a madoline for this.
• Salad Spinner – works great for washing and drying the salad greens.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons – to measure the salad dressing ingredients.
• Mason Jar – I like to measure the ingredients for the dressing into a mason jar, add the lid, and shake it up. This doubles as a storage container for leftovers.
• Salad Bowl or Serving Platter – to serve the salad. I prefer a platter or a shallow bowl for the prettiest presentation

Fennel and Orange Salad Ingredients

I served this citrus salad with a simple orange balsamic dressing. Here’s what you’ll need for the salad and dressing:

For the Fennel Salad

• Salad Greens
• Oranges
• Pomegranate Arils
• Fennel Bulb

For the Citrus Vinaigrette

• White Balsamic Vinegar
• Orange juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

What are the Best Oranges to Use for this Salad?

You can use whatever oranges you like best! I like to use a variety for lots of color and citrus flavor – cara cara oranges, blood oranges, and navel oranges look gorgeous together.

What Type of Salad Greens Should I Use for this Fennel Orange Salad?

Honestly, you can use whatever you like! I love the combination of mixed baby greens and peppery arugula, but any kind of lettuce will work.

Just choose what you like! The fennel, oranges, and pomegranate are the real stars of this recipe.

How to Make a Fennel and Orange Salad

As you’d expect, this fennel orange salad is so easy to make.

1. Wash and dry lettuce. If using head lettuce, tear lettuce into pieces.
2. Remove the peel and pith from the orange. Cut the orange into sections or into rounds.
3. Layer the salad as follows: lettuce, sliced, orange, salad greens. Repeat these layers until all of these three ingredients have been used. Top with pomegranate arils.
4. To prepare the orange dressing, whisk the vinegar, juice, oil, salt, pepper, and sugar together.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Tips for Making this Fennel and Orange Salad

Cutting the sweet orange segments is a great way to practice your knife skills! Check out this tutorial on how to supreme an orange to learn how to master this elegant look.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead of Time?

If you’re planning a dinner party and need to do some of the prep work in advance, you can easily prep the individual ingredients and the dressing ahead of time.

I recommend storing them in separate containers in the fridge and assembling the fennel citrus salad just before you plan on serving it. This will prevent the salad greens from becoming soggy.

What to Serve with Fennel Orange Salad

This winter salad is a great side for a number of hearty dishes. Some of my favorite mains to pair with this fresh salad include:

• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Pumpkin Soup
• Traeger Smoked Turkey
• Slow Cooker Ham
• Instant Pot Beef Ragu
• Citrus Rosemary Roasted Chicken
• Chicken Marsala

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

How to Store Leftover Fennel and Orange Salad

Store leftover salad in an airtight container.

I prefer to store the salad dressing and the salad separately because the salad lasts longer this way. You’ll have to serve the dressing on the side in order to do so instead of dressing the entire salad.

What Readers Are Saying

“Juicy oranges and crispy and crunchy fennel are always good together, really refreshing.” — Sylvie

“What a lovely, light, refreshing salad. Perfect for these post-holiday weeks.” — Heather

“I found your wonderful recipe on TasteSpotting, and I made it for my family last night. It was wonderful!” — Erica

Try this Fennel and Orange Salad!

Next time you’re looking for a simple salad recipe for winter with wonderful flavor, give this orange fennel salad a try!

Did you think combination of sweet and tangy oranges with crunchy fennel and pomegranate seeds was perfect for winter? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great recipe.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this green salad with shaved fennel and sweet juicy oranges!

More Winter Side Dish Recipes:

In this Massaged Kale Salad recipe, kale is lightly massaged with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then, it’s tossed with roasted delicata squash, roasted red onions, herbed goat cheese, and pepitas.

I love this recipe for Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper and then tossed generously with fresh garlic and sage.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic are a fantastic side dish that is full of delicious flavor — caramelized, roasted Brussels sprouts, savory bacon, and tangy balsamic vinegar.

This recipe for Honey Roasted Carrots with Balsamic is a super simple way to make oven roasted carrots with lots of flavor!

Blue Cheese Rosemary Mashed Potatoes are a unique take on classic mashed potatoes. With the addition of gorgonzola cheese and fresh rosemary, you go from yum to YUM! 

Get More Healthy Recipes via Email

Did you love this recipe for fennel and orange salad? Sign up to receive Good Life Eats Email Updates and never miss another recipe!