a winter soul-brightener with irresistible flavour—sweet, sour, savoury and a little zingy ✨ this simple salad brings together two of the season’s brightest citrus stars with tart-sweet golden berries, crisp fennel, and buttery olives, tied together in a vibrant lemon-ginger dressing.
Details & Substitutions:
❥・the fennel – i use a mandoline to shave the fennel into thin slices — this creates a lighter texture that allows the tangy dressing to penetrate the strips while keeping its crunchy body (reminiscent of Thai green papaya salad); if you’re not a fan of fennel’s licorice-like flavour, finely chopped cabbage would work well here or, if you prefer to stay with fruit, grated apple is a nice choice.
❥・the citrus – i’m using two of my favourites — cara cara and blood orange — you can use any citrus you like including grapefruit – look out for what is most vibrant near you.
❥・the herbs – i’ve chosen basil for this version, but mint makes an equally refreshing option.
❥・the olives – i’m using Castelvetrano olives for their milder flavour compared to heavier-hitting briny olives — they have a creamy texture and a more delicate flavour profile that complements the citrus beautifully without overpowering it.
❥・cape gooseberries – (also known as: golden berries, ground cherries, physalis) — these are a total delight if you can find them! their tart-sweet flavour adds a unique pop to the salad — if not available, consider substituting pretty pomegranate arils.
❥・the dressing – i like a full-flavoured dressing with some tartness to balance the sweetness, but a simple drizzle of olive oil works well too depending on preferences (an infused oil would be divine – lemon/herb family).
want to make a bigger salad? absolutely! simply double the batch of both salad and dressing ingredients and serve on a platter (nb: for things like salt/garlic and ginger you may want to increase slightly without doubling, depending on preferences) enjoy!
- For the Citrus Salad:
- ✿ 2 Cara Cara Oranges (or other navel orange)
- ✿ 2 Blood Oranges (or citrus of choice)
- ✿ Handful gooseberries or pomegranate arils
- ✿ ½ fennel bulb (shaved with mandoline or thin sliced with knife
- ✿ ⅓ cup chopped castelvetrano olives
- ✿ Handful of fresh basil or mint leaves
- ✿ Optional: sprinkle of minced red onion // avocado slices // pistachio or other nuts
For the Lemon-Ginger Dressing- ✿ 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ✿ 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ✿ 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (try hot honey if you like a little extra heat)
- ✿ 1 tsp minced garlic, or to taste
- ✿ 1 tsp fresh grated ginger (remove skin and use a fine grater -- microplane is ideal)
- ✿ ⅛ - ¼ tsp salt to taste
- Start by making the dressing so it has time to gather flavour (you can make the dressing ahead and store in an airtight container in fridge for up to 3 days).
- Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the skin and most of the pith from the citrus (i don't worry too much about leaving behind some of the pitch - white parts - all good)
- Turn the peeled citrus on its side and then cut about ¼" thick slices
- Arrange the citrus slices on a plate in any design formation that makes you smile (circular-ish works well)
- Add shaved fennel (or cabbage/apple etc)
- Top the fennel with olives
- Dot the salad with sliced gooseberries and / or pomegranate arils
- Garnish with fresh basil or mint -- or both!
- Give the dressing a good shake and then drizzle over the salad and enjoy!
in other winter citrus wonders … this is my latest fresh juice concoction — blood orange, carrot, green apple, turmeric root and ginger root …. ohh my, i’m in love (juicer was a Christmas gift from me, to me)
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looking for more winter brighteners? check out my morning flourish bowl:
What a gorgeous salad for our dreary winter days, just what the doctor ordered. Love ginger, such an under utilized ingredient and beautiful paired with the citrus and honey,
Hope you weren’t affected by those terrible fires in California.
thank you for your thoughtful note Eva 🤍 hope all is well on your end too