Monday, August 22, 2011

Orange, Fennel, Ginger & Arugula Salad



Refreshing, crunchy, tangy, peppery... great flavors to enjoy on a Summer day. 
This is such a simple salad, I am not sure why I didn't do it sooner.  Fennel is crunchy with a mild anise flavor that lends itself to many other fruits and veggies.  It's pretty easy to find, at the grocery store (Trader Joe's sell it in a 2-3 pack without the tops) and farmers markets too.

I like fennel because it's so versatile, it's equally great braised with your pot roast or served fresh in your salad. It's my new favorite.

I found this recipe on "O" Oprah.com, but there are many, many versions online.  I liked this one best because it had the ginger in the dressing, but the salad would be equally yummy with a honey mustard of poppyseed dressing.



Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, grated (about 2 teaspoons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

4 cups baby arugula
2 oranges , skin and pith removed, sliced crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick circles
1 large fennel bulb , trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced in rings

Directions

Peel the oranges by cutting away the rind with a sharp knife.  Lots of juice is still attached to the rind, so I give it a little squeeze to use those juices for the dressing.  Slice the oranges into rounds.


Cut the top, and the core off of a fennel bulb.  Retain some of the green fronds to chop up and use to garnish the salad, it tastes great.


Cut in half and slice thinly.  I recommend a food processor to make short work of it, and give you consistent cuts.


In a small bowl, combine lemon & orange juice, ginger, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl, add the arugula, and layer on top the orange, red onions and fennel; drizzle with dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper before serving.

I did mine ahead of time, but didn't want my arugula to get wilted, so I added dressing to the orange, fennel and red onion mixture to marinate while I waited.


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