Sicilian orange and fennel salad

Serves: 4
Prep: 7 mins
Cook: 0 mins

This is a beautiful salad I fell in love with in Sicily. Fennel has the texture of celery but the taste of liquorice or aniseed. While high in fibre, vitamin C, folate and potassium, fennel is low in calories and also contains properties that help lower blood pressure and improve heart health. One of the most fascinating phytonutrients in fennel is anethole, which accounts for the sweet liquorice taste and has been repeatedly shown in animal studies to lower inflammation and help prevent cancer.

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Ingredients

  • 2 very large oranges, peeled with the pith removed
  • 250g fresh fennel, trimmed of stalks
  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • flat parsley leaves pulled from stalks, for garnish

Method

  1. Step 1

    Segment oranges and cut each segment into 3 chunks. Place into a salad bowl together with any juice.
  2. Step 2

    Slice fennel as desired and add to bowl.
  3. Step 3

    Drizzle with olive oil and toss. Sprinkle with parsley leaves and serve. Salad stores well in the fridge for up to a day.

Tips

  • There is no right or wrong way to cut fennel. Slice thinly if you prefer a lighter flavour or into small chunks for a more robust aniseed hit.
  • Add a few black olives for extra colour and flavour, before serving.