This fennel & radish salad with spicy citrus vinaigrette is a bright, vibrant side dish that will brighten up any dinner. Crisp fennel and peppery radishes are tossed with delicate butter lettuce, fresh basil, and a slightly spicy citrus vinaigrette. The salad is topped with sweet, juicy slices of blood orange and toasted pistachios.
fennel & radish salad – the inspiration
With many of the heartier dinners I’ve been making this winter, I’ve needed a quick side salad to complete the meal. One I keep going back to is some version of greens, very thinly sliced fennel, and a citrus vinaigrette. It’s the perfect thing to add on to a dinner that needs a little acidic perk-up (like these braised short ribs with parmesan risotto, for example).
When turning this salad concept into a recipe for the site, I wanted to add a few additional components while maintaining the simplicity. This fennel & radish salad was the result.
notes from the kitchen
I think mouthfeel is a really important part to the entire salad eating experience. Here, we’ve got fennel and watermelon radishes, both of which are extremely tough when eaten raw unless sliced very thinly.
Using a mandoline is a big help, but if you’re using a knife, make sure it’s sharp and really take your time to slice each vegetable as thin as humanly possible. This will give them a much more delicate texture so that they blend seamlessly with the butter lettuce.
For the spicy citrus vinaigrette, I like to let it sit for at least 20 minutes before using it. This gives the shallot and fresno pepper time to soften and allows the citrus, honey, and olive oil to meld into a more balanced dressing.
plating & serving
When tossing the salad, start with only about half of the vinaigrette. You can always add more as you plate, which keeps the lettuce light and prevents the salad from feeling overdressed.
Arranging the blood oranges over top of the salad after it’s tossed & plated will help them stay intact. And then a sprinkle of toasted pistachios adds a nice finishing crunch.
It all comes together really beautifully…just waiting to be served at your next dinner party!
PrintFennel & Radish Salad with Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette
a bright & refreshing side salad of fennel & radishes, delicate butter lettuce, juicy blood oranges, basil, pistachios, and a spicy citrus vinaigrette
servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 red fresno pepper, cored + seeded + finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup blood orange juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (4.5 oz) container of butter lettuce
- 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed + cored + very thinly sliced
- 2 small watermelon radishes, peeled + very thinly sliced
- ½ cup torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- 2 blood oranges, peeled + sliced ¼”
- ½ cup toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- kosher salt
- flaky sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the shallot, red fresno pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, blood orange juice, and honey in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt to taste. Set aside for about 20 minutes or so to let the flavors marry.
- To assemble, gently tear each leaf of butter lettuce into a few pieces and add them to a large mixing bowl. Add in the fennel, radishes, basil, and about ½ of the vinaigrette. Toss well to combine. Taste the salad and season with salt if needed.
- Plate the salad individually or on a large platter. Arrange the blood oranges, pistachios, and extra basil over top. Spoon more of the vinaigrette over the salad to your liking.
- Season with a little flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to finish.
Notes
- For the lemon and blood orange juice, you’ll need to start with approximately 2 large lemons and 2 small blood oranges.
- For the fennel and radishes, I like to use a mandoline in order to slice them both very thinly. This helps with the mouthfeel of the salad. You can definitely just use a knife, but make sure it’s sharp and take the time to ensure the slices are as thin as possible.
- You can reserve a handful of fennel fronds from the stalks and use them as a garnish if you’d like.
- This vinaigrette will separate easily because honey is a fairly weak emulsifier. Make sure to give it a good whisk before using it.
