Spring Citrus Salad with Fennel + Poppyseed Dressing

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Spring Citrus Salad with Fennel + Poppyseed Dressing

April 5, 2016
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Spring Citrus Salad with Fennel + Poppyseed Dressing

This delicious Citrus Salad with Fennel tastes like sunshine in a bowl! It makes the most of California citrus, paired with fresh fennel and topped with an easy homemade poppyseed dressing.

This is one citrus salad that deserves main-course attention!

Citrus Spring Salad

Have you ever tasted sunshine?  

Well… me neither, but still, I’m quite positive that it would taste just like this!

Every tasty ingredient in this refreshing salad compliments each other like I’ve never experienced before. I don’t think I would add or omit any component since each flavor and texture is so unique and strikes a perfect balance to this dish.

Also, those colors – vivid, complimentary and gorgeous!Citrus Spring Salad

Prep and assembly is a snap and all things considered, you might even have everything you need right in your fridge! Ok, but, maybe not the fennel bulb (also called sweet anise). In fact, you might get a little apprehensive to include fennel if you’ve never used it before, but believe me, you will be pleasantly surprised. Recently, fennel has become quite the trendy veg, so you may have already been served fennel in a restaurant without even knowing it!

I have come to especially love fennel and am always looking for ways to include it in my kitchen. I even want to start growing it in my garden!

Citrus sliced up on a cutting board

Choosing citrus for your Citrus Salad with Fennel:

In this case, the largest element of this refreshing salad is an array of juicy citrus.  I used Cara Cara, Navel, and Minneolas. They were all so sweet and juicy! I couldn’t decide which variety was my fave, so I just used them all.  

Ingredients: citrus, red onion, mint, avocado, dill, and fennel bulb

A few more California favorites pull this salad togther:

The other stars of the dish are undeniably avocado, red onion, and fresh mint…

In truth, it’s hard not to stare, isn’t it?  

Utensils picking up Citrus Spring Salad

Serving your citrus salad:

Citrus Spring Salad on Plate

I served this citrus salad with fennel with a basic poppyseed vinaigrette that I whipped up (recipe included below), but you can always use a quality store-bought poppyseed dressing to make things extra simple.

While this salad is fantastic on its own, this dressing really adds a pop of flavor!

Dressing being poured over Citrus Spring Salad

Here’s what you need for the poppyseed dressing recipe:

  • Greek yogurt
  • vegetable oil
  • apple cider vinegar
  • sugar
  • shallot
  • poppyseeds
  • salt

Look for the Real California Milk seal when choosing your dairy products, like Greek yogurt!

Citrus Spring Salad in serving bowl and on a plate

Surely you’re getting hungry by now. Because I know I am!

Fork picking up Citrus Spring Salad

At this point, I’ve tortured you long enough, so here’s the Citrus Salad with Fennel recipe! 

citrus salad with fennel

Spring Citrus Salad with Fennel

Susan the CA Grown Mom
This delicious Citrus Salad with Fennel tastes like sunshine in a bowl! It makes the most of California citrus, paired with fresh fennel and topped with an easy homemade poppyseed dressing.
This is one citrus salad that deserves main-course attention!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill time 30 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 272 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Navel oranges
  • 2 Cara Cara oranges
  • 4 Minneola tangelos
  • 1 fennel bulb sliced thin
  • 1/2 red onion sliced thin
  • 1 avocado sliced into bite sized chunks
  • 2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves roughly chopped

FOR DRESSING

  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 shallot chopped fine
  • 1 TBSP poppyseeds
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk to blend. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (You can do this while you are prepping the rest of the salad.)
  • Remove the rinds from the citrus and cut into bite size pieces. (Allow to partially drain in a colander if needed.)
  • Layer half of the fennel, avocado and red onion on a platter or shallow bowl.
  • Add half of the citrus on top.
  • Layer the other half of the fennel, avocado and red onion.
  • Top with the remainder of the citrus.
  • Add chopped mint and a few fennel top greens to garnish.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.

Notes

Dressing may be made up to 3 days in advance.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 630mgPotassium: 870mgFiber: 9gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 961IUVitamin C: 82mgCalcium: 169mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @cagrownofficial or tag #CAGROWN!

Recipe adapted from Citrus, Fennel and Avocado Salad by FoodieCrush

More Citrus Salad recipes to try:

Citrus and Olive Salad - Jessica Lawson, Big Delicious Life

Jessica’s Citrus Salad with Olives and Fennel

A refreshing winter citrus salad with briny olives, thinly sliced fennel and a light champagne vinaigrette from our friend Jessica of Big Delicious Life.

Cinnamon Cayenne Citrus Salad

Bright, warm, tangy, and sweet, this citrus salad from Aida at  Salt & Wind is for those who sought out Warhead candies as children. It’s an elegant play between tartness and sweetness. It can be made with any combination of citrus fruits (although you’d be wise to avoid lemon/lime).

Cinnamon Cayenne Citrus Salad
Vy Tran_Mandarin, Fennel, Burrata Salad

Mandarin, Fennel, and Burrata Salad

This refreshing citrus salad from our friend Vy Tran of Beyond Sweet and Savory packs tons of flavor. All the ingredients play well together and every bite is loaded with creamy burrata, anise-flavored fennel, a bright citrus note, and an oniony kick from the chive blossoms.

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