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Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

It’s no secret I like to eat. It would be abnormal—in my humble opinion—to have a food blog and not enjoy the feasting it’s bounty produces. I stand firmly in the make and munch camp.

Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

While I do consider myself a semi-foodie, I’m not really a whole foodie. I’m not hard core about eating 100% organic or avoiding sugar in my diet and I’m too lazy a.k.a. scatterbrained to ponder the possibilities of signing up for a CSA because then I wouldn’t have to run to the grocery store 4 times a day.

And for heaven’s sake don’t even ask me to think of giving up chocolate or cheese.

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But that doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of eating fresh foods depending upon the season. In fact, I’d say that’s just exactly how my foodie tidal cravings swing.

As a former creative director for a health and fitness magazine, over the years I learned ALOT about food and nutrition. Heck, I even put a girl in a swimming pool full of oranges just to show “creatively” that vitamin C is so important for skin care. Instead of shooting just a regular old orange. Because that would be easy. Back before digital cameras were even used professionally, when we still shot film. And polaroids. So you could save them for years and hang then on the inside of your office cupboards for a walk down memory lane.

Oh wait, am I the only one that does that?

oranges-pool

Oh, how my prop stylist hated me when she had to transport 100 cases of oranges to the pool and then get them all out afterward. And the model who put on a brave face in January in an unheated pool in un-sunny Encino, CA.

But doesn’t that model look just like Bridget from Bake at 350? I bet Bridget would have been smiling too, because she’s always smiling.

Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

My friend Becky is the real deal seasonal eater. She does things simply, she buys and supports all things local and I’m sure her CSA is always used to maximum efficiency to complement her whole foods cravings.

Each month Becky encourages her readers to also eat seasonally, and even creates a downloadable seasonal produce guide that is downright inspiring. You really should get March’s produce guide, right here.

Recently she asked a few other bloggers to join her in encouraging their readers to #eatseasonal. (You can follow the #eatseasonal hashtag on Twitter and Instagram where the goal is for all of us to share.) I’m pleased as punch to share a seasonal recipe with this group every second week of the month starting with this Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad. And I’m not the only one. You can too.

I didn’t even realize just how seasonal this recipe is until I started writing this post. I mean, I know citrus and avocados are smack dab on the cusp of winter meets spring, but shallots too? Becky says so, so it must be true. Heck if radishes and leeks are March friendly, I’m going to throw out an olive branch and say fennel is too. But what will Becky think?

Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

About the recipe:

Sunkist recently sent me a box of citrus which put a kickstart to this recipe. Now, I’ve made renditions of this recipe plenty of times in the past, but never with this many different styles of antioxidant-filled, Vitamin C-packed, oranges. I love the variety of shapes and colors the variety adds and encourage you to try a few different varietals for yourself.

Fennel is unique. It’s not your average veggie medley and isn’t often seen on the American dinner table. Maybe I should start a petition because that needs to change. Who’s with me? The secret to enjoying this lightly licorice flavored veggie in the raw is to slice it really, really thinly. Like, sliver thin.

The best way to get sliver thin veggies is with my favorite kitchen tool. Get one, it will change your kitchen forever.

Shallots need to be sliver thin, too. Or if onions are too strong for you, chop about 1 tablespoon finely and add to the salad dressing for a lighter onion flavor.

I almost added arugula to this recipe. And then I thought that butter lettuce would be amazing too. I also almost added goat cheese and pistachios. See, the possibilities of eating fresh are just about endless.

But in the end, simplicity wins again. And when it comes to salads, well, they’re totally my thing.

Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

5 from 1 vote
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Citrus Fennel and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

  • An assortment of citrus totaling about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
  • I used:
  • 3 navel oranges
  • 3 cara cara oranges
  • 2 minneola oranges
  • 3 mandarin oranges
  • 1 blood orange
  • 1/2 fennel bulb very thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 1/2 shallot peeled and very thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves
  • Reserved fennel fronds

Instructions

  1. Slice the peels off of the citrus and place in a bowl or on a serving plate. Layer with thinly slivered fennel slices. Add avocado slices and shallot slivers.
  2. In a small bowl, slowly whisk the olive oil into the champagne vinegar until emulsified. Add the honey and whisk to mix. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
  3. Pour dressing over the salad and season with more kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with reserved fennel fronds and mint leaves.

Thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. As always, all opinions are my own. 

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Comments

  10. I think it’s just perfect!! And I’ve been using fennel a lot lately too! Just made a butternut squash and chickpea stew with fennel the other day! I love the subtle liquorish flavor and the pretty bright green fronds :). Thanks for joining in the eatseasonal crew. I’m grateful!!

    Reply

  11. Love to hear about your old job — reminds me of my former job. We are so spoiled with digital cameras. Now if only I can take gorgeous photos like you. Wowza! This salad looks so refreshing and beautiful. Yummy!

    Reply

  13. This salad looks so good!! I keep telling myself that I have to eat more salads – and – I actually love them… but, as much as I love cooking/eating… it’s a bit hard now that I don’t have a family to cook for. That being said – I’ve got learn to Take Care of Me – think I’ll start with this salad!! PS I’m so glad you posted both the photo of the orange-filled pool and the story behind the photo!

    Reply

    • Somehow I got my 9-year-old to eat this salad, because of the sweetened dressing and the lush oranges. Of course, she picked out the onions. Next time I’ll get her!

      Reply

      • That’s funny because I’m planning on making it without the onions. I think they are pungent and will overpower the other flavors, but it does look delicious!

        Reply

  15. Not only does this salad looks absolutely divine (I know and love the combination of fennel and oranges, but the addition of avocado is just brilliant!), but I also loved the girl in the orange-swimming pool shot. Put a smile on my face!

    And also: I think you not skipping sugar or eating 100% organic only makes you more of a foodie. Cause foodies loves it all:)

    Reply

  17. A-hahahaha! Um, yeah. I’m pretty sure those are my legs. In.My.Dreams.

    I have been so craving oranges lately…and your salad looks SO good! I’d lie on a pool of oranges…in a full-length gown. ;)

    Reply

  20. I love oranges in my green salad. It doesn’t look nearly as beautiful as yours, and I always add avocado and dried cranberries. I can see that I need to up my game, that salad looks so yummy!!
    Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply

  21. This salad is everything gorgeous about citrus season!!!! I am too scatterbrained to do a CSA box too. I always want to but by the time I think of it, it is already too late to sign up. Plus I don’t know what I would do with all that produce.

    Reply

  25. Can I be a foodie if I’ve never eaten fennel? I think I’d like it, I’ve just never really found a recipe that spoke to me that also contained fennel. This one might be it, though. And I’m pretty sure fennel is seasonal at the moment — Real Simple magazine says so, so it must be true :)

    Reply

    • Seriously, shaved and eaten raw, it’s divine. Give it a try! Ina Garten also does a braised fennel I want to try. Sounds really good, kind of like a gratin.

      Reply

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  45. Hi, I am visiting your site from pinterest. On pinterest, you have said “7 Homemade Detox Drinks for Weight Loss”. On clicking, it is opening to this salad recipe!! Would you please check?

    Anyway, citrus and avocado is an excellent salad combo. And this recipe is a must try for me tonight.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  48. The salad looks fabulous! I make a similar salad and put it on a bed of spinach or arugula with a white balsamic and blood orange olive oil dressing. Fabulous. Pomegranate seeds would really pop in this lovely winter salad.

    Reply

  51. I got here by accident when I clicked a link that says: “7 homemade detox drinks for weight loss” and not drinks here. :(

    Reply

  52. Looks delicious. I’m always looking for new recipes for my son, who has become very conscious of eating healthy. I’ve copied so many of your recipes and am preparing a binder of all my copied recipes. I must note that we don’t care for onions or garlic in my family so I will modify many of the recipes. This is one of those recipes that can be modified to to be made without onion/shallots and I think it will still be amazing because the pungent onions/shallots will not overpower the more mild flavors of the other ingredients. I don’t believe every recipe has to have have onions and/ or garlic. In my family, we cook without those two ingredients and never have missed them but have enjoyed all the other aromatic flavors in foods since they haven’t been overpowered by pungent foods. Of course, this is just my opinion and am not suggesting that people should cook or eat like my family.

    Reply

  53. bonjour, elle fait trop envie cette recette je vais la faire dans ces prochain jour je salive déjà ? merci la photo est super on mange d’abord avec les yeux :-)

    Reply

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