Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepperto taste
Poppy Seed Dressing:
½cupcanola oil
¼red wine vinegar
¼cupgranulated sugar
1teaspoonDijon Mustard
1teaspoonpoppy seeds
Saltto taste
Instructions
Prepare the Poppy Seed Dressing:
Add all of the poppy seed ingredients to a small jar. Blend with an immersion blender or seal with a lid and shake well.
Marinate the Fennel and Onion:
Cut the stalks and fronds from the fennel bulbs and reserve the fronds. Cut the fennel bulbs in half vertically, then thinly slice with a sharp knife or mandoline.
Thinly slice the red onion and transfer the fennel and onion to a small bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to combine. Cover and let the veggies marinate at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
Slice the Oranges:
Trim the top and bottom of the oranges. Use a sharp pairing knife to remove the peel and the white pith from the flesh of the orange. Place the cut side of the orange onto a flat surface. Follow the curve of the fruit and trim the skin and pith away from the flesh and discard. Slice the oranges into ¼-inch round slices. Transfer the orange slices to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Build the Salad:
In a large bowl, toss the spring mix with the marinated fennel and onions. Add the orange slices and season with salt and pepper. Finely chop a tablespoon of the reserved fennel fronds and sprinkle them over the salad. Then season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Add more protein to this salad and keep it vegetarian by adding nuts such as pistachios, almonds, or walnuts. If it’s not meatless Monday, you could add roasted chicken or fish.
In my opinion, the orange slices make a prettier presentation. You could also supreme an orange if you’d like.
Use blood oranges or Cara Cara oranges for a more colorful and flavorful salad.
An immersion blender makes the poppy seed dressing ultra thick and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can put all of the ingredients in a jar and shake it extremely well.
The dressing calls for canola oil. Extra virgin olive oil is usually my oil of choice, but I really wanted to use a neutral oil without a lot of flavor.
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