This Citrus Fennel Spring Salad with a Creamy Orange Tahini dressing is packed full of fresh seasonal ingredients like crispy romaine, crunchy peppers and fennel – the ultimate spring and summertime salad.
People always ask me how I come up with my recipes. Often times it’s as simple as using up ingredients I already have in my kitchen. This spontaneous recipe was inspired using leftovers from my recent Healthy Spring Grocery Haul. Spring and summer is my favourite time of the year! Not only do we get to lighten our wardrobe, but also our meals. So say goodbye to cozy sweaters and comfy meals and say hello to shorts and t-shirts and light refreshing meals! Now that the grocery stores and markets are bursting with all kinds of vibrant veggies and fruits I find myself constantly craving a salad, whether it’s for lunch or dinner and sometimes even both. I love making a huge bowl of salad packed full of crunchy veggies that will last me a couple of days.
Cooking with Fennel
I would have to say that the superstar of this recipe is fennel. Fennel is one of those vegetables that you either buy often, or pass by at market wondering what to make of it. If you’re not familiar with this crunchy flavourful and versatile beauty, definitely give it a try! The mild anise flavour adds a unique taste to your everyday salad. I love thinly chopping the bulb into any salad, you can also stir fry it, braise it, grill it. You can even toss it into a soup. And if you’re wondering what to do with the frilly lacy ends that look like dill (they’re called fronds) chop them up and toss them into your salad just like any other herb.
This salad is also packed with crispy romaine, crunchy cucumbers and radishes. I also used Aloha peppers, which are a fun twist on normal peppers. If you can’t find Aloha peppers, you can easily substitute with red, yellow or orange peppers. I also added sliced oranges for a sweet citrusy punch. This can easily be substituted with sliced grapefruit or blood oranges.
Meal Prep
Because this salad is full of crunchy veggies, it holds up nicely for your leftovers the following day. If you add the dressing as you go, it will last a few days longer, so go ahead and make a huge bowl! And speaking of the dressing…I think it’s one of my best so far! I love the creamy consistency from the tahini and the natural sweetness from the fresh orange juice.
This delicious super fresh salad will make you want to eat salad all season long and sure to be a winner at your next dinner party or summer BBQ feast!
If you’re looking for more salad inspo, check out my Rainbow Chopped Tuna Salad and Watermelon Cucumber and Quinoa Salad.
If you make this recipe, be sure to share a photo on social media and tag me @healthnutnutrition and #healthnuteats so that I can see your creations!
Recipe
Citrus Fennel Spring Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 Heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 large Engish cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 bulb fennel sliced
- 2 tbsp fronds (that’s the frilly/ lacy ends of the fennel)
chopped - 1 Aloha bell pepper thinly sliced
- 5 radishes thinly sliced
- 1 orange peeled and sliced
- 2 green onions sliced
Orange Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup Tahini
- 1/4 cup Fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Grainy dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp Pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper
Instructions:
- In a large salad bowl, add the lettuce, cucumber, fennel, pepper, radish, orange, onions and fronds. Toss until well combined.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, add the tahini, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, water, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined and creamy.
- Pour about ½ the dressing on top of the salad, and toss until evenly coated.
- Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume by the next day. Store leftover dressing in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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OMG I could the entire bowl of this!! Looks delicious, I will definitely be adding this to my summer recipes!!
-Libby