pretty in pink: fennel, grapefruit, & blood orange salad

fennel, blood orange & grapefruit salad

Winter salads don’t need your bad rap. While I love slaws and hearty grain salads, it’s nice to mix things up with a bright, light salad that isn’t a slouch in the flavour department. Fennel, red onion, grapefruit and blood orange combine with romaine to create a perfectly lovely salad that will have people at your table wanting seconds. It’s that good.

fennel, blood orange & grapefruit salad

It may look like a lot of red onion up there, but don’t worry, the onions are lightly pickled in lemon/grapefruit/blood orange juice and so their harsh bite is erased. It also lends a cool crunch alongside the crisp fennel slices – it’s amazing what a little juice can do! As for the dressing, I made it texturally light (ie, it’s of the runny variety) but if you want a thicker vinaigrette, just add a bit more dijon and honey to give it some bounce.

fennel, blood orange & grapefruit salad

If you’re looking at the photos trying to figure out where the grapefruit slices are, you’re right, it’s not in these photos. I made this salad 3 times in one week (yes, it really is that good) and the final time I was out of grapefruit, so I just used blood orange. The salad was still a knockout, but I missed the sharpness that the grapefruit delivered, so there you go.

elsewhere: Ever had hummus pizza? Well I dish it out over at Poppytalk and it’s delicious. And check out this amazing comic about kale over at ReadyMade. I also discuss the joys of bars & games, so comment over at ReadyMade and share your favorite bar games.

19 comments to “pretty in pink: fennel, grapefruit, & blood orange salad”

  1. 1
    Eva   January 31, 2011 at 12:11 pm

    This looks so good! I love the colours, and I bet the flavour is amazing! I shall be giving this a go for our next dinner party in a few weeks 🙂

  2. 2
    heather   January 31, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    I make a salad very similar to this in winter with citrus and a mustard-walnut oil vinaigrette. Never with fennel or blood orange before. I’m quite fond of fennel and citrus together, so I’ll have to try your recipe.

    Cheers,

    *Heather*

  3. 3
    The Rowdy Chowgirl   January 31, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    Nice! I make a fennel salad with mandarin oranges and olives–the blood oranges are a nice twist!

  4. 4
    Kimberley   January 31, 2011 at 4:47 pm

    Man, I’m all about blood oranges right now. So good!!

  5. 5
    vanillasugarblog   January 31, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    oh i bet that roasted walnut oil tasted fabulous in this. Mmm. i always love your combo’s.

  6. 6
    Bijoux   January 31, 2011 at 7:28 pm

    What a coincidence, I just picked up two fennel bulbs today at the market. Now I know what to do with them. I love plenty of raw onions in my salad but I also like the idea of marinating the onions in the citrus juice. I seldom buy grapefruit so I will be quite happy just using regular oranges with this salad.

  7. 7
    Joanne   February 1, 2011 at 3:19 am

    It’s definitely important not to forget how delicious winter veggies can be. I’m not the biggest raw fennel fan but if I caramelized it a bit…I’m pretty sure I’d find heaven in that salad.

  8. 8
    Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger)   February 1, 2011 at 4:55 am

    I discovered fennel for the first time this winter and have been enjoying it. I make a similar salad, and I love how you added the Romaine as well. Great way to balance and soften the fennel flavors. Great photos, too! 🙂

  9. 9
    Maddie   February 1, 2011 at 9:38 am

    Juice-pickled red onions? What a fantastic idea. I’m a big fan of raw onion in salads, but I’m embarrassed to breathe on anyone after eating them…this seems like a socially-acceptable alternative. 🙂

  10. 10
    lyndsay   February 1, 2011 at 6:40 pm

    beautiful… and i always love your blog post titles… you use great descriptors… ^__^

  11. 11
    CookiePie   February 2, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    Beautiful and so colorful! Love the flavor combo, too. Thanks for sharing!

  12. 12
    kickpleat   February 2, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    Thanks Eva, it’s very delicious and bright tasting!

    Heather, give it a try!

    Mmmm, olives would be delicious. Nice call, Rowdy chowgirl!

    Me too, Kimberly!

    Aw, thanks vanillasugarblog!

    Perfect coincidence, Bijoux! Hope you enjoy it even without the grapefruit 🙂

    Joanne, I’ve never caramelized it. Sounds great!

    Rivki, I like the balance of flavours here – everything blends really nicely.

    Yup, Maddie, I did it and it’s delicious! This would be the perfect raw-onions-at-lunch compromise!

    Thanks Lyndsay, you’re the sweetest!

    Thanks CookiePie!

  13. 13
    Aimee   February 3, 2011 at 11:54 am

    Beautiful photos! I definitely want to try this recipe; I want to try and incorporate more fennel into my life!

  14. 14
    Lynn   February 3, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Wow, that’s a salad with a kick to it! And purdy, too.

  15. 15
    Jessica   February 3, 2011 at 5:20 pm

    Definitely a cure for the winter blues! This is the second recipe I’ve seen this week that uses walnut oil so you’ve convinced me to try it! Thanks, it’s delicious!

  16. 16
    kickpleat   February 8, 2011 at 10:47 am

    Thanks Aimee! This is a great intro to fennel 🙂

    Thanks Lynn!

    I think so too, Jessica. Try it, it’s delicious.

  17. 17
    Andy   February 15, 2011 at 12:15 pm

    This sounds delicious! In the spring I like to make a salad with fennel,orange,parsley,and sometimes snowpeas, but grapefruit sounds like the perfect addition, And I get this information during grapefruit season, perfect.

  18. 18
    kickpleat   February 16, 2011 at 11:13 am

    Thanks Andy, enjoy!

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