The fennel and orange salad is my absolute favourite salad, and that hasn’t changed in years. It all started in Basel, in a restaurant in the Steinenvorstadt. They served a fennel salad there, cut so thinly, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Crisp, tender and refreshing. A dream. I’d never eaten such a finely grated fennel salad before.
Whilst searching for the right grater, and after trying out plenty of combinations, I landed on this one: fennel, oranges and lime, fresh, fruity and light, with the mild heat of ginger as the secret weapon.
What makes this salad special is the grater. The fennel must be sliced paper-thin. When freshly shaved, it becomes tender and juicy. The ginger is added at the very end – either crushed with a garlic press or finely grated on a wasabi board – and provides just the right amount of heat to transform the salad from a simple side dish into a dish in its own right.
The fennel and orange salad is at its best between January and March, when blood oranges are in season. The colour alone is reason enough to make it. It works just as well in summer, using juicy navel oranges, and it even goes well with a glass of white wine as a starter. That’s all you need.
Ingredients for the fennel and orange salad
Before you start, here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. The exact quantities are listed in the recipe card at the end of the article!
Fennel — the base. A firm, white bulb with no brown patches, sliced paper-thin. Don’t throw away the fennel fronds; they’ll be used later to garnish the top.
Oranges — juicy varieties such as Navel are always a good choice, whilst blood oranges make the salad look particularly lovely in winter. The juice that comes out when you segment the oranges goes straight into the vinaigrette. You could also use mandarins as an alternative.
Ginger root — fresh and raw, finely grated over the finished salad. It adds a distinct spiciness that complements the sweet oranges.
Extra virgin olive oil — combined with orange juice and salt to make the vinaigrette, it tenderises the fennel slices. It’s worth using a good-quality oil here; you can really taste the difference.
Fleur de sel — I always add it to my plate right at the very end. I hardly add any salt beforehand, but that way you can really taste the crystals.
Lime — both the juice and the finely grated zest go into the vinaigrette. The lime gives the sweetness of the oranges a clean edge without making it too sour.
Freshly ground pepper — straight from the mill. For me, the aroma of freshly ground black pepper is an essential part of this salad.
To garnish — fennel fronds, mint or dill, depending on what you have to hand. All three work well.
How to make a fennel and orange salad – step by step
It’s best to do it in this order: first the fennel, then the oranges, as this produces the juice for the vinaigrette. Add the ginger right at the end so that its heat remains fresh. Everything will be on the table in a quarter of an hour.
Slice the fennel as thinly as possible
Wash the fennel bulb, cut out the hard stalk, and pluck off the tender green leaves, setting them aside. Slice the bulb into wafer-thin slices using a vegetable slicer or a very fine grater.
This is the key to the whole recipe: the thinner the slices, the more tender the salad. It’s rarely possible to slice them finely enough with a knife alone.
Segment the oranges and catch the juice
Cut off a cap from the top and bottom of the oranges, then generously peel away the skin, including the white pith, from top to bottom. Carefully separate the segments from the membranes. Do this over a bowl so that not a single drop of juice is wasted.
The vinaigrette made from orange juice, lime and olive oil
Mix the collected orange juice with the olive oil in a ratio of 1 to 3, then season to taste with the lime juice, fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper. Squeeze the emptied membranes firmly once more over the bowl, as there is plenty of juice in them.
Finely grate the lime before squeezing it, and add the zest to the vinaigrette along with the juice.
Arrange on a plate and grate the ginger over the top
Spread the fennel loosely over a flat plate and arrange the orange segments on top. Peel the ginger and finely grate it over the salad using a wasabi board. Alternatively, press small pieces of ginger through a garlic press; this takes a bit of effort but is well worth it.
Make sure you only grate the ginger just before serving. It loses its fresh, pungent flavour more quickly than you might think.
Garnish and serve immediately
Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over the salad and garnish with fennel fronds, mint or dill. Serve immediately, whilst the fennel is still crisp.
Tips & Variations
The most important tool for this salad is a good grater. If you live in Switzerland, Migros sells a very affordable white grater and a vegetable slicer, both of which grate incredibly finely. For anyone outside Switzerland, I’ve linked to a suitable grater on Amazon. But be warned, it’s really very sharp.
For a bit of crunch, sprinkle some toasted pine nuts or roughly chopped walnuts on top. Pomegranate seeds or thinly sliced cucumber make the salad even fresher, whilst a little finely chopped chilli or a pinch of cumin adds a spicy kick. If you prefer a milder flavour, replace the ginger with grated lemon zest. And if you’re serving the salad as a main course, it goes well with burrata, roasted chickpeas or a piece of grilled salmon.
It is best served as a light starter before fish or poultry, as a side dish with grilled prawns, or simply on its own on a hot day, accompanied by a glass of white wine.
Storage
Room temperature: not suitable. The salad should be served immediately after preparation; otherwise, the fennel will absorb moisture and lose its crunch.
Fridge: Store the sliced fennel without the vinaigrette in a sealed container for up to one day. Store the orange segments separately; add the vinaigrette and ginger just before serving. Once dressed, the salad will keep for 1 to 2 days, but it will become softer over time.
Freezer: not suitable. Fennel and orange segments become mushy when defrosted.
FAQ for Fennel and Orange Salad
Yes, but keep the components separate. Shaving the fennel and segmenting the oranges can be done a few hours ahead. Add the vinaigrette and ginger only just before serving so the fennel stays crisp.
Juicy, sweet varieties such as navel oranges. Between January and March, blood oranges are the loveliest choice, bringing colour and a slightly bitter edge.
With a mandoline or a very fine grater. A knife is rarely enough. It also helps to cut out the hard core first.
Yes. A pinch of ground coriander or a little extra lime zest both work. The salad turns out milder and fruitier.
Without the vinaigrette, the shaved fennel stays crisp in the fridge for about a day. Once dressed, it should be eaten within 1 to 2 days.
More of my favourite salads for you
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Recipe Card
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Fennel and Orange Salad with Ginger
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g fennel
- 2 oranges
- 1 lime juice and zest
- 30 g fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
- 1 pinch black pepper freshly ground
- fennel fronds mint or dill (to garnish)
Instructions
- Wash the fennel, cut out the core and shave the bulb paper-thin on a mandoline or a very fine grater. Set the fennel fronds aside.
- Segment the oranges. Slice off the top and bottom, cut away the peel and white pith from top to bottom, then release the segments from the membranes. Work over a bowl to catch the juice.
- Zest and juice the lime. For the vinaigrette, whisk the caught orange juice with the olive oil in a ratio of 1 to 3, add the lime juice and zest and season with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper.
- Spread the fennel loosely over a flat plate and arrange the orange segments on top.
- Peel the ginger and grate it finely over the salad on a wasabi grater. Alternatively, press small pieces through a garlic press; this takes a little effort but is worth it.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over the salad, garnish with fennel fronds, mint or dill and serve immediately.
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