Blood Orange Fennel & Arugula Salad
A very springy salad if I do say so myself
one of my goals for spring was to work on my approach with salads and to get more creative with them. i was gifted some organic produce from a local farm and within that I received some really nice fresh fennel that got me all excited. maybe even a bit too excited for a box full of vegetables but what can i say, seasonal things get me excited to cook and then that led me to doing something with blood oranges.
using their juice for the dressing as well as using the segments in the salad is probably the best way to really utilize all of their flavor and potential. the sweetness from the blood oranges pairs really nicely with the fennel that has a sort of licorice, mint and honey flavor. to plate, simply toss everything together and top with more blood oranges and pistachios, followed by a generous sprinkling of plant-based parmesan cheese — which makes a salad that feels well balanced between flavor and texture while eating with the seasons.
Blood Orange Fennel & Arugula Salad
yields 2 servings
Ingredients for the dressing
1/2 cup - olive oil
1/4 cup - blood orange juice
2 tbsp - champagne vinegar
2 tsp - cumin powder or crushed cumin seeds
1 tsp - dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for salad
3 cups - arugula
1 1/2 cups - plant-based chicken “chunks” ( I used Abbots Brand but you can omit with what you have )
2 - blood oranges cut into segments ( squeeze the juice after cutting segments out )
1 bulb of fennel - sliced
1/4 cup - toasted + chopped pistachios
2 tbsp - minced shallots
1/4 cup - shaved or shredded plant-based parmesan cheese
What you will need:
mandolin to slice arugula
cutting board + chef knife
pairing knife
medium pan + spatula or tongs
mason jar for dressing or something similar
large salad bowl / serving bowl
Instructions
Step 1 - Prep + cut the orange segments + make the dressing
There is nothing worse than going to make something and realizing you don’t have the stuff ! First things first gather your mise en place and grab a mason jar. I like to prep and cut the orange segments out of the oranges first that way I can squeeze the left over bits to get the juice. If you have never done this before, check out my video down below to see how I did this. I promise it isn’t as scary as it looks.
If you do not have a mason jar you can also simply make the dressing in a bowl and whisk everything together. Both methods work well so no worries there. Simply shake together all the ingredients for the dressing in the mason jar or whisk together and store in a food safe container and pop in the fridge to cool.
Step 2 - Slice the fennel + sauté the “chicken”
If you have never cut fennel before, I would recommend checking out the video to see how I did it. Simply cut off the stalks, then the bottom stem part. After that sort of preliminary chopping is done, cut the fennel bulb in half and peel off the outer layer and cut again to have sort of quarter segments. From here you can cut out that bitter stem from within the fennel and from there its ready to be thinly sliced on a mandolin. After slicing, soak in cold water and set to the side. Before tossing with everything else, be sure to strain off the excess water from the fennel.
For the plant-based chicken I have lately been using Abbotts brand as I was thrilled to find an option without seed oils but I know these things can be hard to find depending where you live. Simply use your favorite plant-based chicken product here and sauté till crispy or the way you like it in salads. Then set to the side to cool a bit before tossing in with everything else.
Step 3 - Building the salad
In a large bowl, add in the arugula, fennel and minced shallots and give that a good toss before laying a layer of this mixture in a salad bowl or serving plate. Add about half of the orange segments over top of that salad layer followed by a sprinkling of the sauteed “chicken”, chopped pistachios and parmesan “cheese”. After that follow with another layer of the mixed arugula and fennel, chicken”, orange segments, pistachios and of course, more cheese.
Enjoy the salad right away and save any left over dressing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in a food safe container.
If you make it, please tag me on Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3