Fennel & 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
Scale
- 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.