This Spanish fennel and orange salad is one of those simple Mediterranean dishes that works every time. It is fresh, slightly sweet, a little salty, and has just enough crunch to keep it interesting. You can put it on the table in 15 minutes, and it pairs especially well with fish or grilled meats.
This salad combines thinly sliced fennel with juicy oranges, mild onion, and a few olives for contrast. The dressing is minimal, just olive oil, citrus juice, salt, and pepper, so the ingredients carry the flavor.
It is a classic combination found across Spain and Italy, especially in coastal regions where lighter sides make more sense than heavy starches.
In Spain, salads like this are often served as a light side next to seafood. The focus is always on fresh ingredients and minimal dressing, letting the natural flavors stand on their own.
Why This Recipe Works
- The balance here is what makes it worth keeping in your rotation.
- The sweetness of the oranges softens the sharpness of the fennel.
- The onion adds bite without overpowering.
- Olives bring salt and depth.
- Olive oil ties everything together without masking the freshness. No vinegar needed, no complicated dressing, no overthinking.
Ingredients Needed
- Oranges - Use sweet, juicy ones. Navel or Valencia work well.
- Fennel bulb - Slice it very thin. This is key for texture.
- Red onion - Mild and thinly sliced so it doesn't dominate.
- Olives - Spanish green olives or black olives both work.
- Fresh parsley - Adds freshness and color.
- Olive oil - This is not the place for cheap oil. You will taste it.
- Salt and pepper
How to Serve It
This salad belongs next to simple, well-cooked food. Serve it with:
- grilled or pan-seared fish
- roasted chicken
- pork chops, or roasted pork loin
- grilled shrimp
Storage Tips
This is not a make-ahead salad. It is best eaten right after assembling, when the fennel is still crisp and the oranges are fresh.
If you let it sit too long, it becomes watery and loses texture. If needed, prepare the components ahead and assemble just before serving.
Other Spanish Recipes
- Spanish Migas con chorizo-garlic pan-fried bread&chorizo sausage
- Chickpeas green beans with pork and Spanish chorizo
- Spanish orange-almond flan recipe- a magic gluten-free dessert
- Spanish Potato Salad (Ensaladilla Rusa)- a Spanish favorite
- Carne con tomate(meat in tomato sauce)
- Orange fennel and arugula salad
Enjoy it!
📖 Recipe
Fennel and Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large juicy oranges
- 1 large fennel bulb very thinly sliced
- 1 mild red onion finely sliced
- 7-8 plump Spanish Olives or Black olives pitted and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Grate the rind from the oranges into a bowl and set it aside.
- Using a small serrated knife, remove all the white pith from the oranges, working over a bowl to catch the juices.
- Cut the oranges horizontally into thin slices.
- Toss the orange slices with the fennel and onion slices.
- Whisk the olive oil with salt, pepper, and reserved orange juice.
- Pour it over the salad.
- Sprinkle the olive slices and orange rind over the salad.
- Decorate with parsley and serve on French bread.
Notes
- Slice fennel very thin for best texture
- Catch orange juice while slicing-it becomes part of the dressing
- No vinegar needed; the oranges provide enough acidity
- Assemble right before serving for best results
- Works with both green and black olives
Cristina says
This in my opinion is a very savory, sofisticated salad, however easy to make and sure to impress. Love the sweetness given by the oranges, will definitely make it again
Daria Doering says
I was skeptical, but this salad was delicious! Also not many ingredients, easy to make, and different from the usual. It will be in my salad rotation from now on!