This shaved fennel and arugula salad is dressed with an irresistible blood orange vinaigrette. It creates a gorgeous sweet, savory, aromatic salad you’ll want all year long.
I made this shaved fennel and arugula salad for my Galentine’s Day party, and it was such a hit that I knew it needed to be added to my website immediately! Shaved fennel, sliced radicchio, golden raisins, and arugula are the base of the salad. It’s topped with pecans toasted in maple syrup and thyme. Finally, it’s dressed with a so-good-I-wanna-drink-it blood orange vinaigrette that I spike with Aleppo pepper for just the right amount of kick. It’s a sweet, savory salad with subtle bitter undertones from radicchio and the perfect amount of heat from Aleppo pepper.
How to make this shaved fennel and arugula salad
Fortunately, you don’t need many ingredients for this salad and it’s easy to substitute as needed depending on what you do have.
What you need
- Arugula: You can use baby spinach or baby kale if you don’t have arugula.
- Radicchio: This adds a nice bitterness to the salad which works well since the dressing is sweet and there is sweetness from the golden raisins. If you don’t have radicchio, just add more arugula.
- Golden raisins: You can use red raisins, Zante currants, or dried cranberries instead.
- Fennel: I love the flavor of fresh fennel paired with arugula!
- Pecans: I toast pecans with just a nip of maple syrup, olive oil, and a few thyme sprigs.
- Blood orange vinaigrette: You need a blood orange (or any orange will do!). You also need honey, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, and Aleppo pepper. You can replace the Aleppo pepper with a pinch of crushed red pepper if you don’t have it.
How to make it
- Step 1: Toast the pecans with maple syrup, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Scatter a few thyme sprigs on top and bake at 400ºF for just 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Step 2: Assemble the salad. Arrange the arugula, radicchio, and golden raisins in a large bowl. Add the toasted pecans on top. Drizzle with just a touch of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Step 3: Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette until smooth and emulsified. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.
From there, you’re ready to serve it up! Toss to coat the salad with the dressing and serve immediately! Only dress the salad i you intend to eat it immediately. Otherwise, store the salad and dressing in the refrigerator separately. Whisk the dressing right before serving to emulsify it again.
It’s such a gorgeous salad that you could serve at any event or as a starter to a lovely weeknight meal at home!
Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans (lightly crushed)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 5 ounces arugula
- 1 head fennel (trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced on a mandoline)
- 3 ounces radicchio (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup golden raisins
- Salt and pepper
Blood orange vinaigrette:
- 1 blood orange (zested and juiced; you’ll need 1 teaspoon zest)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional; or use a pinch of crushed red pepper to taste)
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Toast the pecans:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet. Drizzle 2 teaspooons extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons maple syrup over the pecans. Add a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Scatter the thyme sprigs over the pecans. Transfer to the preheated oven for 5 minutes until toasted and fragrant.
- Remove the pecans from the oven and discard the spent thyme sprigs. Set aside.
Prepare the salad:
- In a large bowl, add the arugula, shaved fennel, sliced radicchio, and golden raisins. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the toasted pecans on top and drizzle with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat and set aside.
Make the blood orange vinaigrette:
- Combine the blood orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, honey, and extra virgin olive oil in a glass measuring cup. Whisk until emulsified. Add the Aleppo pepper. Taste and add salt if needed. Add more Aleppo pepper for an extra kick if you like.
To serve:
- Pour the blood orange vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add another pinch of salt if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
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