Want a really refreshing salad that hydrates you from within? This simple, no-lettuce, no-dairy salad has plenty of crunch and an nice medley of flavors. There’s noticeable zing thanks to the orange, fennel and red onion. The cucumber gives you plenty of cool crunch while the avocado throws a bit of richness into the mix. This salad is perfect for a light lunch on those hot, humid days and it’s just about the most perfect precursor to grilled mahi-mahi you could ask for. Add chilled garbanzos to the mix for a bit of protein.
Recipe for Avocado Orange Fennel Salad:
1 avocado, ripe but firm
2 naval oranges
3 small cucumbers, preferably Persian variety
1 medium bulb fennel
1/2 red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon filtered honey
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 lime
dash red pepper
sea salt, to taste
Chop the first three ingredients, the avocado, oranges, and cucumbers into 1 1/2 inch segments, making for a nice, chunky salad.
For the fennel, you’re going to want to remove all the shoots and peel away any of the darker bits of the bulb. Slice the fennel thin, going against the grain which means the blade of your knife will bisect the natural lines in the fennel. The interior of the bulb sometimes has small green bits of shoot or leaves which are velvety in texture, discard those portions. Slice thin the red onion.
For the dressing: Pour the vinegar into a small bowl and next add in the honey and stir. Squeeze in the lime. By adding the honey with the acidic ingredients first, you’re allowing it to dissolve and become less sticky. Next add the olive oil and stir. Add a dash of red pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Stir well and toss (don’t stir!) with salad. Best served slightly chilled. A nice Sauvignon Blanc goes perfectly here as does a nice Pinot Gris.
Until next time…
Happy Eating!
