This blood orange fennel salad is bright, sweet and savory with a pop of sesame oil and mint. Perfect as a side dish; or makes an excellent base for added protein as a salad for one.

Bright, shiny citrus meets fresh fennel, nutty sesame oil and a pop of mint in this low effort blood orange salad. I will legitimately eat an entire bowl of this sunshine goodness to myself — but it’s also a fantastic side dish served alongside some sort of crispy protein.

I tend to make this salad right at the end of Winter, when I need something crisp and tangy to cut through the monotony of Winter staples. I’m honestly not one to bang a drum for salad in the Winter, but I make an exception for this recipe.

And while we’re being honest, I’ve gotta tell ya… the real reason I made this recipe is because I bought TOO MANY blood oranges. And the ol’ husband won’t have anything to do with them. (I mean, who shuns CITRUS?!). To each his own I guess (she says whilst silently judging everyone who hates oranges).

The main thing that makes this recipe different than all of the other Joe Schmo blood orange salads out there is the addition of toasted sesame oil. The flavor of sesame oil takes this dish into a more “asian fusion” direction (is that PC anymore I honestly don’t know). If I’d had schichuan peppercorns on hand I would have crushed some overtop of this salad just to GO THERE conceptually.

But, uh, I have about a pound of pink peppercorns to use up so there you have it. The color of pink peppercorns is the real appeal to me, although I find there’s something almost lactic about their unique flavor. Cheesy, I mean. What do you think?

Now I know what you’re going to ask: why did you add chia seeds? Well, they add a bit of crunch and they’re heckin’ healthy. So, why not I ask? You could sub them out for chopped nuts or other seeds if you prefer. Sesame seeds would be my first choice of sub. Just give it a touch of crunch, that’s the goal.

Blood Orange Fennel Salad with Toasted Sesame Oil and Mint

prep time: 5 mins - cook time: 0 mins - makes: 1 large serving or two side servings

Notes: 1. You could use olive oil instead of sesame oil for a more straightforward flavor profile. 2. Use any pepper you like if you prefer to sub out pink peppercorns. 3. Sub out any crunchy nut or seed for the chia seeds as you like.

Ingredients

7-8 small blood oranges
1/8 cup sliced fennel + fronds
1 cup packed salad green
1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
sea salt, to tast
black pepper, to taste
pink peppercorns, to taste
1/2 tsp chia seeds
handful chopped mint

Peel blood oranges and slice into rounds width-wise. Set aside.

In your salad serving bowl, toss together sliced fennel and salad greens. Top with slices of blood orange. Drizzle sesame oil over top. Add salt, black pepper, pink peppercorns, chia seeds liberally over top. Add mint at the very end. Serve as is (because aesthetics) or toss together to combine all of the flavors thoroughly.

Variation: add 4-6 oz protein of choice to amp up how filling this salad is. I like tofu or chicken sauteed in toasted sesame oil with salt and pepper (keeping it simple).