This bright, colorful salad is a perfect antidote to winter months. Crunchy, flavorful, and juicy, it balances rich dishes and pairs well with a hearty red or a crisp white wine. The oranges, fennel, and mint can be assembled up to two days in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Before serving, dress the salad and then sprinkle over the olives, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds.

Developed for Molesini Wine Club, the recipe is included in the wine shipment so members can make the dish to enjoy during their virtual wine tastings.

Orange and Fennel Salad

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes

Salad

3 blood or navel oranges
1 small fennel bulb
½ cup (125 milliliters) loose-packed, fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) small black olives, either dry-cured or packed in olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) chopped pistachios (optional)
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) pomegranate seeds (optional) 

Dressing

Zest from ½ an orange
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) orange juice, squeezed from the peels
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil 

Directions

1. Zest half of one of the oranges and place in a small cup. Use a sharp knife and slice the peel off the oranges, making sure to remove all the pith. Hold the peels over the cup with the zest and squeeze to extract the juice. You should have about 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters). If it is less, use more vinegar. Cover and set aside if not using immediately. Slice each orange into six slices. Remove any inner pith. Arrange on a serving platter.

2. Cut the fennel bulb in half and cut out the tough inner core. Slice crosswise into very thin slices. Arrange on, under, and around the oranges. Rough chop the mint and tuck into the salad. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days.

3. Make the dressing by whisking the vinegar and oil into the orange juice. Just before serving, drizzle dressing over the salad, then scatter the olives, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds over the top. Serve.

About Molesini Wine Club

This recipe was developed for Molesini Wine Club to be included in virtual tasting notes with wine shipments. Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.