Shaved Fennel and Parsley Salad

I’m having trouble getting back to work this week. After two weeks of holiday cheer, not to mention a month filled with parties and events, it’s hard to saddle up back at the desk. Staying gluten free over the holidays wasn’t much of a problem, but I always feel a bit off my game after so many heavy meals and a little more meat (and sugar) than usual. I welcome the new year with a tinge of excitement over getting healthier foods back on our table.

One easy way to do this is by pulling out one of my favorite salads, a delicate mix of shaved fennel, Italian parsley leaves, green olives, and citrus. It’s a particular favorite of mine in winter since there are so many wonderful varieties of citrus available. I love the sweetness of tangerines or the bold color a blood orange adds, but a regular orange does just as well. I also enjoy highlighting the flavor of parsley, so under-appreciated, by plucking the leaves from an entire bunch and using them as the “lettuce”. The fennel and parsley together bring a freshness, almost tonic quality to the salad. Serve it to balance a rich or creamy meal (it’s perfect with pizza), or stick with the lighter theme and pair it with a simply grilled piece of fish.

As is often the case with vegetable salads, this one’s adaptable. Switch up your citrus; try tangerines, blood oranges, grapefruit, or minneolas. Or use pomegranate seeds instead of the citrus segments. Don’t like olives? Leave them out, but keep the saltiness by substituting ribbons of Pecorino cheese in their place. Use the recipe as a guide and work to craft your own version.

What do you like to cook in January? Do you switch to healthier foods, or warming winter comfort classics? Please share your thoughts in the comments section. Happy New Year ~LbR

Recipe: Shaved Fennel and Parsley Salad

Makes : 4 servings | Salads/Sides Dairy Free , Vegan , Vegetarian Print

Ingredients

1 minneola, tangerine, blood orange, or small orange, plus its juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2 fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise or Florence fennel), stalks removed and discarded

1/2 cup pitted and torn green olives, such as Cerignola (about 12-15)

1 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed

Instructions

Using a knife, peel the citrus down to the flesh, removing all of the white pith. Working over a large bowl, cut the segments away from the membranes and let them fall into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into a small bowl; you should have 3-4 tablespoons. Whisk the olive oil, salt, and pepper into the juice.

Halve the fennel bulbs lengthwise, then cut them into paper-thin slices with a Benriner slicer or a very sharp knife. Put the fennel in the bowl with the citrus segments. Add the green olives and parsley leaves. Whisk the dressing and toss it with the salad. Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.