Fennel and Grapefruit Salad

 

Fennel and Grapefruit Salad is a light, crunchy and flavorful salad loaded with slices of fennel, red onions, black olives and chunks of juicy pink grapefruit.  It’s dressed with a tangy vinaigrette to give it a wonderful twist of sweet and tart flavors with every bite.

 

A white oval salad bowl with sliced fennel, black olives, and chunks of pink grapefruit.

Fennel and Grapefruit Salad…

We love fennel and thought to toss it into a salad. This Fennel and Grapefruit is crisp, clean tasting and refreshing! Plus, is vibrant and colorful.  So good, this salad will have everyone asking for seconds.

Easy to prepare and ready in minutes! Best of all, fennel and grapefruits are readily available all year long. Pink grapefruits are ripe and juicy this time of year. What better way to use them in a refreshing salad like this one. For more fennel salad recipes, don’t miss our Blood Orange Fennel Salad, and Fennel and Apple Salad.

 
 
A fennel bulb is laying on a wood cutting board.

What is Fennel?

  • It’s hard to believe that fennel is a member of the carrot family, but it’s not a root vegetable.
  • It’s shaped in a bulb with long stems and feathery (frizzy) leaves that resemble dill.
  • Fennel is a common vegetable in most of Europe and is used in many recipes, similar to this salad.
  • It has a mild anise-like flavor and a sweeter taste to it.
  • Fennel is also known as Anise and it is very popular in Italy, Greece and even France.  It commonly used and served as a raw appetizer, like celery.
  • Also, Italians, love fennel and considered it to be a great snack after a meal to help with digestion.    

Fennel is very refreshing and it is a healthy vegetable.  We also enjoy serving sliced fennel with a medley of raw vegetables and serve it with Healthy Beet Hummus and Chickpea Stew Hummus.

 

The secret to this salad…

Fennel and Grapefruit Salad is best served chilled. Best of all, you can make it ahead on day before. And, the longer you allow this delicious salad to marinate and infuse all its flavors together, the better it becomes! ENJOY!!

A large deep oval white bowl with sliced fennel and chunks of grapefruit and black olives.

Ingredients Needed for this Salad…

  • Fennel bulb
  • Red onion
  • Pink grapefruits
  • Lemon
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Pitted black olives
  • Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

How To Make this Salad?

Let’s first, discuss how to prepare the Fennel and Grapefruit Salad:

1.  First, rinse the fennel bulb. Trim and discard ends, reserve some of its grass to garnish.

A fennel bulb with stalks cut off.

2.  Cut out the cord on the bottom and discard the cord.

A fennel bulb on a cutting board with its' bottom and cord removed.

3.  Then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch or less.  Or use a mandolin to shave the fennel into thinly slices.  Cut the fennel as thinly as possible.  And toss into a mixing bowl.

A fennel bulb on a cutting board, sliced thinly.

4.  Next, slice the grapefruit in half.

One Pink Grapefruit sliced in half.

5. Using a sharp knife, remove pieces of grapefruit and discard all seeds.  Set them aside.

6.ย Next, toss the other ingredients: fennel, red onions and black olives in a deep serving platter or mixing bowl.

A white oval salad bowl with sliced fennel, red onions, black olives and some fronds tossed on top.

7.ย Make the vinaigrette! Combine olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar in a small bowl.ย  Toss well to combine.ย  Add salt and pepper to taste.ย  Chill and allow fennel salad to marinate, about 1 to 2 hours before serving. ย Lastly, toss in the grapefruit and serve. Serves 6 to 8

Make Ahead and Storing…

To Make Ahead and Store: you can make this salad one day ahead. Cover with clear wrap, and keep it chilled in the refrigerator. Leftovers will stay fresh for up to 2 days.

More Healthy Salads You’ll Love!

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Fennel and Grapefruit Salad

A white oval salad bowl with sliced fennel, black olives, and chunks of pink grapefruit.

Fennel and Grapefruit Salad is a light, crunchy and flavorful salad made with slices of fennel, red onions and black olives. Then it is tossed with a lemony vinaigrette and topped with chunks of pink grapefruit to give it a wonderful twist of sweet and tart flavors with every bite. This refreshing salad is vibrant and colorful and will have everyone asking for seconds.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large or medium-sized fennel bulb
  • 1 small red onion - thinly sliced
  • 2 pink grapefruits
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • handful pitted black olives- sliced
  • sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Rinse fennel bulb. Trim and discard ends, reserve some of its fronds ( the frizzy greens at the stalks) to garnish.
  2. Cut out the cord on the bottom and discard the cord.
  3. Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch or less. Cut fennel as thinly as possible. Toss into a mixing bowl.
  4. NEXT, slice the grapefruit in half. Using a sharp knife, remove pieces of grapefruit and discard all seeds. Set aside.
  5. In a mixing bowl, add the fennel, red onions, and black olives. HOLD the grapefruit aside.
  6. Combine olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour into fennel salad. Toss well to combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill the salad in the refrigerator for about 1 to 2 hours. Allow fennel salad to marinate before serving.
  7. Lastly, just before you serve, toss in the pink grapefruit, then serve.
  8. Serves 6 to 8

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6 servings

Serving Size:

1 serving

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 7.4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 3.1gFiber: .9gSugar: .8gProtein: .4g

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Fennel and Grapefruit Salad by 2sistersrecipes.com

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Happy and Healthy Life!

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Welcome! From Anna and Liz

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19 Comments

  1. Great combination of ingredients! I've never had fennel in a salad, but I know I'd love it! Have a lovely weekend Anna and Liz. It's pouring rain up here in the Upstate, so lots of indoor things to catch up on are on my list!

    1. Thank you Roz! I heard about the rain, I' m been in NY this past week taking care of my parents.
      But return later today. Have a great weekend!

  2. oh, this sounds so delicious!
    Beautiful to see as well.
    New to your blog and i can tell i will have to look at a few more recipes before i move on!

    1. Hi Tammy! Welcome to our blog! this colorful dish will intrigue everyones senses at the table. Thank you for a lovely comment and for stopping by!

  3. Your Fennel and Grapefruit Salad is so beautiful. I love fennel and citrus together. ๐Ÿ™‚ So refreshing and healthful.

    1. Thank you for the lovely comment Cathleen! We have made this salad with oranges too! We love it and hope you do too! We will stop by your site to see whats cooking!

  4. I have to say this is a very interesting salad and I like how you added the grapefruit to it.
    great job ladies!