Home/Recipes/Insalata Siciliana di Arance e Finocchi

Insalata Siciliana di Arance e Finocchi

Name: Insalata Siciliana di Arance e Finocchi
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 oranges preferably Sicilian blood oranges; 2 fennel bulbs trimmed; 0.5 red onion very thinly sliced; 60 g black olives pitted; 40 ml extra virgin olive oil; salt and black pepper to taste

Winter orange and fennel salad with olives and red onion

A Sicilian winter salad of peeled oranges, finely shaved fennel, red onion and black olives, dressed with olive oil and orange juice.

Jump to recipe

Prep20 minsCook0 minsServes4DifficultyEasy

Sicily

The regional version.

The Sicilian fennel, orange, red onion and olive winter version, without anchovies.

Oranges provide the acidity as well as the fruit.
Raw fennel is shaved thinly for a crisp winter salad.
Black olives and red onion give this version its savoury contrast.

Technique: winter orange and fennel salad with olives and red onion

Remove the bitter white pith completely and catch the orange juice for dressing. Add the salt and oil at the last moment so the fennel remains crisp.

The recipe

Insalata Siciliana di Arance e Finocchi

20 min prep0 min cook20 min total4 servings

Scale:

Ingredients

Main

4 oranges, preferably Sicilian blood oranges
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed
½ red onion, very thinly sliced
60 g black olives, pitted
40 ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

1
Cut peel and white pith from the oranges over a bowl, catching the juice. Cut the flesh into rounds or bite-sized pieces.
2
Remove the tough fennel core and shave the bulbs finely; reserve any tender fronds for the finish.
3
Soak sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes if its flavour is strong, then drain and dry thoroughly.
4
Mix the collected orange juice with olive oil and a small pinch of salt and pepper.
5
Arrange oranges, fennel, onion and olives on a shallow platter. Dress just before serving and scatter fennel fronds.

The version on this page

The Sicilian fennel, orange, red onion and olive winter version, without anchovies.

Oranges provide the acidity as well as the fruit.
Raw fennel is shaved thinly for a crisp winter salad.
Black olives and red onion give this version its savoury contrast.

Cooking it well

Remove the bitter white pith completely and catch the orange juice for dressing. Add the salt and oil at the last moment so the fennel remains crisp.

Serving and planning

Serve beside swordfish or a rich baked pasta. Orange salads with anchovies or without fennel are other Sicilian household versions.

Explore the Sicilian cooking guide for related dishes and pantry notes.

Storage

Keep components covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day and dress just before serving. The assembled salad releases juice as it stands.

Freezing

Do not freeze: the raw fennel and orange lose their texture.

Reheating

Serve cool and freshly dressed; no reheating is needed.

Keep cooking

Editorial recipe cover for Insalata Pantesca, from Pantelleria, Sicily

1 hr 50 min

Sicilian · Stovetop

Insalata Pantesca

Pantelleria’s potato-and-tomato salad with salted capers, black olives, red onion, oregano and extra virgin olive oil.

Caponata Siciliana served in a rustic Mediterranean setting

55 min

Sicilian · Stovetop

Caponata Siciliana

A Sicilian agrodolce of fried aubergine, celery, tomato, olives and capers, best served after the flavours settle.

Editorial recipe cover for Panzanella Toscana, from Tuscany

50 min

Tuscan · No Cook

Panzanella Toscana

Tuscan panzanella with soaked and squeezed stale bread, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, basil, wine vinegar and olive oil.