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Blood Orange and Fennel Salad

February 3, 2015 By Jessica

This may be exactly what one needs after indulging on Super Bowl Sunday. And that one is me. If you over-indulged like I did, this one’s for you – not exactly a detox salad, but close.

Even me, who is not big on football, enjoys watching the game (what a close game it was!) so long as there is plenty of guacamole, chips, and pretzels … food I brought over to our friend’s house (who happens to have a huge TV, perfect for watching a bunch of guys tackle each other, don’t you think?) just in case there may not be anything my family can eat. So, to prevent any awkwardness I usually bring gluten/dairy/soy free food everyone can enjoy … the funny thing is nobody notices it’s gf/df/sf most of the time, they just eat. “Mangia, mangia!”

I also brought over grilled “cheese” sandwiches for dinner (take out pizza full of gluten and dairy won’t cut it) that I heated up (on parchment paper to prevent cross-contamination) in her oven – see here for my grilled cheese recipe. Bringing safe food to a party or event makes it that much more enjoyable, without stress AND food-infractions. A little planning goes a long way when dealing with allergens.

Our gooey, insanely cheesy sandwiches made the take out pizza (they offered gf/df pizza but it contained soy) they ordered look like “triangles of greasy cardboard”, according to my 13 year old. It was nice to see my twin boys watching the game. They actually sat and got into it this year. It was funny to see them laugh whenever the player (with the ball) would get knocked down, probably wondering – “why does that guy keep getting clobbered!”

After a day of major noshing, a light salad with some seared wild salmon was dinner last night (and quick since I didn’t have more than 30 minutes to spare). If you ask me (I’ll pretend you did) this has got to be one of the best winter salads.

Blood oranges taste like a cross between an orange and a grapefruit, and has a sultry look to them … and when freshly squeezed, well, this juice will make one heck of a sexy martini … some lemonade, citrus vodka … uh, yum.

Okay, let me try to get my mind off cocktails for a minute and tell you how light and bright this salad is, without being complicated or pretentious … something we need to get us through the winter.

It will likely have you longing for more – and kind of forget that it’s chilly out. Bringing on a glimmer of hope that spring is just about here.

Yes, a salad of blood oranges and fennel can do that to you. Seriously.

Isn’t it something how Mother Nature offers these foods to brighten our day in the heart of winter? Thank you Mother Nature.

Now about that cocktail …

 

blood orange fennel salad gluten free paleo vegan - fromjessicaskitchen.com

 

Serves 6 side salads

Ingredients:

4-5 blood oranges
1 fennel, including fronds
1/2 lemon
1/2 large red onion
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons GF sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar
2-3 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons crushed black pepper, or to taste

 

 

Preparation:

The mandarins almost made it in the salad but the sections fell apart when cut crosswise …

blood orange fennel salad gluten free paleo vegan - fromjessicaskitchen.com

Remove the skin and white pith of the blood oranges with a pairing knife, then slice thinly crosswise. Trim ends of the fennel, cut in half, then slice thinly crosswise, or use a mandolin on 1/8 inch setting. Squeeze lemon over the fennel slices (this will prevent them from browning). Peel and thinly slice the onion crosswise. Arrange on a large salad platter.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar evenly over the salad, then sprinkle kosher salt and pepper evenly as well. Serve room temperature. Enjoy!

blood orange fennel salad gluten free paleo vegan - fromjessicaskitchen.com

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Filed Under: salads-dressings, side dishes, vegan Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, side dishes, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan

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Comments

  1. Gail says

    February 3, 2015 at 11:23 am

    Yum, yum gimme some! This looks amazing!
    Reply
  2. Sandy says

    February 3, 2015 at 12:52 pm

    Oooh this looks beautiful!
    Reply
  3. Zoe says

    February 3, 2015 at 2:04 pm

    This salad makes me want to go out and get blood oranges now! I need some brightness on this dreary day (and winter) in Canada!!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:55 pm

      Zoe, you will love it. Enjoy!
      Reply
  4. Lana says

    February 3, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    I love your idea on making a blood orange cocktail, sounds as yummo as your salad looks. A beautiful Valentine's day salad that would go nicely with my menu idea: shrimp kebabs, beet risotto and chocolate pot de creme for dessert!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:55 pm

      Lana, ooh that sounds so-o delicious! Nice menu!!
      Reply
  5. Vicky says

    February 3, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    Jessica, how did you know I have been craving anything citrus lately?? I'm obsessed with this and low calorie doesn't hurt ;)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:53 pm

      Me too Vicky, citrus is such a nice pick me up! Enjoy!
      Reply
  6. Linda says

    February 3, 2015 at 2:45 pm

    This IS the perfect winter salad! OMG irrestible!
    Reply
  7. Candice says

    February 3, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    Jessica, You wrote: "...much more enjoyable, with stress AND food infractions"... think you meant to add free after infractions? The salad looks like sunshine on a plate, can't wait to try this :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:52 pm

      Oops! I did mean to say WITHOUT stress and food-infractions!! Thank you for catching that Candice :)
      Reply
  8. Lesley says

    February 3, 2015 at 5:49 pm

    The colors in the salad really pop. I'm sure it is as delicious to eat as it is to look at. Guess whose having this salad tomorrow.
    Reply
  9. Heather Scandrick says

    February 4, 2015 at 12:26 am

    I kind of like this without the mandarins. It seems like it could have been a good accident! Stellar recipe this really does make me hungry but also excited :)
    Reply
  10. Mandy says

    February 4, 2015 at 5:42 pm

    This looks delish and healthy. Hope my son will like blood oranges! If I made it a day before will the oranges "bleed" onto the fennel? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 5, 2015 at 12:44 pm

      Mandy, not sure. It may so I would assemble the fennel and onion, prep dressing, and keep the blood oranges in a separate bowl and assemble just before serving just to be on the safe side :)
      Reply
  11. Lindsey says

    February 9, 2015 at 5:56 pm

    This salad made my day -the perfect pick me up. Now I can have dessert and not feel guilty :)
    Reply
  12. Vicky says

    March 3, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    This is SO pretty! I'm obsessed with the combination of fennel & blood orange and see how this would go well with salmon glazed with honey for dinner Friday night with my boyfriend.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      March 4, 2015 at 11:28 am

      Thank you Vicky! This with honey glazed salmon sounds wonderful, enjoy!
      Reply

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Welcome!

Hi! I'm Jessica, welcome to my blog! I'm a wife and mother of four (all boys, including twins. Did not see that coming!) who loves to eat. Discovering food intolerances in my family and myself had me think about cooking differently with an emphasis on nutrition, but not any less deliciously. No, won't settle for that, neither will my kids! Here you will find simple, healthy, seasonal recipes we love that are gluten, dairy, and soy free. Many are also egg free, nut free, plant-based and/or grain free, given our evolving dietary lifestyle. Even though we live a life of dietary restrictions, my passion for food keeps me on a constant quest to create tasty recipes or adapt our favorite recipes from my stack of cookbooks to bring back the joy of eating again, without sacrificing flavor. Hope you find some inspiration and recipes to enjoy ... thanks for stopping by!

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