How to make a simple fennel and orange salad with mint

A fennel and orange salad is useful when the fridge contains half a bulb, a few tired mandarins and a bunch of mint that has been waiting for a purpose. Shaving the fennel thinly and letting it soak in iced water brings back its crunch, while citrus and torn leaves supply brightness without a heavy dressing. It is elegant enough for a dinner table, but forgiving enough for an ordinary Tuesday lunch.

The approach fits Ebury by Fat Macy’s, the mission-driven restaurant and deli in Pimlico, London, where Lebanese-inspired light bites meet natural wines and products from local and socially minded suppliers. Rather than leaning on rich sauces, this style lets produce do the work: crisp, anise-scented fennel; sweet orange; and peppery mint. It also makes a generous little plate to set among shared dishes.

Australian cooks will find the ingredients familiar, although the seasons arrive on the southern hemisphere’s schedule. Winter brings sweet citrus, with blood oranges often at their best from June to August. Coles and Woolworths stock dependable produce, while growers’ stalls at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market or Adelaide’s Central Market offer more interesting choices and a chance to ask where a bulb came from. A friendly “shout” when entering a greengrocer is also part of the local shop-floor rhythm.

The recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare and serves four as a side. A sharp knife is enough; a mandoline makes the fennel slices lighter. Plan a little refrigeration time, since cold fennel tastes cleaner and crisper than fennel left at room temperature. The aim is a sequence of simple actions rather than a complicated technique.

Begin with produce that feels alive

Choose two medium fennel bulbs, roughly 500g in total. Look for firm, pale green bulbs with tightly packed layers and clean cut ends. Avoid any that feel spongy, have started to brown at the edges or show a split stem. Small bulbs are often more tender, and the feathery fronds are worth keeping: they taste mildly of fennel and make an attractive final garnish.

For the fruit, select two medium oranges with skin that gives slightly when pressed and a scent at the stem end. Navel oranges work throughout the year, but Australian blood oranges bring deeper colour and a little berry-like note in the cooler months. If your oranges seem dry, keep one back for juice rather than forcing a sharp dressing from very little liquid.

Mint is easiest to find as a supermarket pot or a bunch at a farmers’ market. Look for bright leaves with serrated edges, avoiding limp stems or blackened patches. It is not the same as basil, despite their shared place in the herb tray, and a small bunch is plenty. About 15g of leaves is enough for this amount of fennel and citrus.

Slice the fennel and build the dressing

Trim the stalks, reserving a little of the fronds for later. Cut each bulb in half lengthways, remove the tough core from the base and shave the flesh into thin slices. Aim for around 2–3mm: fine enough to bend easily, but not so fine that the layers disappear. A mandoline is useful here, although a steady knife and a little patience give a more relaxed cut.

Put the sliced fennel into a bowl of iced water for five minutes, then drain and dry it well. This short soak firms the layers and helps them stay crisp in the fridge. Make the dressing in a small jar or bowl: whisk two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, one tablespoon of orange juice, one teaspoon of honey if needed, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Taste it before adding more salt.

Toss the fennel with about half the dressing and leave it to chill for at least 30 minutes. You can prepare it up to four hours ahead, but keep the oranges, onion and mint separate until close to serving. A gentle massage for half a minute helps the dressing reach the layers of fennel without bruising them.

Segment the oranges and save their juice

Peel and segment the oranges over a bowl so no juice is lost. Cut a small cap from each end, stand the orange upright and slice away the peel and white pith in a broad curve. Then cut between the membranes to release the segments, lifting out any seeds. The work is simple, but it keeps the flesh clean and the flavour concentrated rather than bitter.

Collect the juice that falls into the bowl and use it to finish the dressing. If a spoonful brings the flavour into balance, the honey is unnecessary; if the dressing still tastes sharp, a little more juice may be all it needs. Blood oranges need no special handling, although their juice can tint the bowl pink. Segmented citrus also looks more attractive than rough chunks.

Bring in onion, mint and fresh seasoning

A quarter of a small red onion adds a savoury edge, but it is optional. Slice it as thinly as you can and leave it in cold water for five minutes before draining. This tempers its raw sharpness. Drain it properly, though: water trapped among the onion slices will dilute the dressing and make the base of the salad watery.

Rinse the mint and dry it well. Tear the leaves rather than chopping them into tiny pieces, which can release a harsher, more concentrated flavour. Lightly crush a few leaves between your fingers and add them to the salad. Keep the rest whole for the table so guests can add the herb as they eat.

Add the orange segments and drained onion to the chilled fennel. Pour over the remaining dressing and toss gently with your hands, tasting as you go. Mint belongs at the final stage, just before serving, so it stays green and aromatic. A final pinch of flaky salt and a twist of black pepper will sharpen the sweetness without covering the citrus.

Fit the salad into Australian hospitality

Australian kitchen habits make this an easy addition to a shared meal. Use metric grams and standard tablespoon measures, and the familiar quantities become twice as useful: double the salad for a January barbecue, or prepare a smaller bowl beside poached eggs and sourdough toast at weekend brunch. It is a lighter companion to grilled seafood or chicken than another heavy, creamy side.

Backyard barbecues are a familiar summer ritual in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and a crisp fennel salad belongs comfortably on the table beside sausages, prawns or grilled halloumi. Its coolness and citrus flavour balance smoke and char, while the fennel keeps enough substance to feel substantial. Serve it in a broad dish rather than a tall bowl, allowing guests to reach easily.

For dinner, put the salad alongside cheese, olives and bread, then open a bottle of something bright from an Australian maker. A dry sparkling wine is an easy choice, while a chilled natural wine with gentle bubbles suits the plate just as well. The aim is a wine with enough freshness to meet the orange and mint, not an elaborate pairing to ponder.

Adapt the recipe through the seasons

Seasonal changes offer simple adjustments rather than a new recipe. From June to August, blood oranges can replace ordinary oranges and bring a richer colour to the same combination. In the warmer months, sliced cucumber or crisp radishes can be folded through the fennel. Both add water and crunch, so drain them well and use a little less dressing.

Toasted walnuts and a little crumbled pecorino make the salad more substantial for a cool evening. Keep either addition modest, since the original balance is delicate: sweet citrus against anise-like fennel, sharp vinegar-like notes from the dressing, and the clean finish of mint. A spoonful of labneh on the side also works well.

The dressing can shift with the fruit. Replace some orange juice with lemon when the salad needs a sharper edge, or add a teaspoon of mild cider vinegar for a little more depth. On a Lebanese-inspired table, the bowl would sit naturally among olives, labneh and warm flatbread. That presentation echoes Ebury by Fat Macy’s approach to light bites: several textures and flavours, with no single item overpowering the rest.

Shop carefully, serve simply and store well

A few deliberate choices at the shop will make the final plate more reliable:

• Choose small, firm fennel bulbs with pale layers and a clean, fresh smell.
• Select fragrant, heavy oranges, and keep a spare if you want reliable juice.
• Pick mint with vivid green leaves, then use it while it is fresh.
• Measure the dressing in a small jug and add it gradually to suit your oranges.

Prepare the components ahead if you are hosting, but dress the salad just before it reaches the table. Refrigerate any leftovers within two hours and eat them the next day; the fennel will soften slightly, while the orange may release extra juice. Keep a little extra dressing in a sealed jar for up to three days. Add fresh mint at the last moment rather than storing it submerged in the citrus.

For a larger table, let the salad be one element among several rather than the only dish. Ebury by Fat Macy’s offers private dining, event catering and venue hire in Pimlico, while Fat Macy’s 200-hour programme provides professional training and support to young people living in temporary accommodation. The programme and the restaurant share a belief that hospitality can be practical, warm and open to more people.

Serve the salad cool, with the fronds scattered over the top and the dressing kept close for another splash. The finished plate should be crisp at the edge, sweet in the middle and alive with mint. A generous bowl, a bright bottle and good company are all it needs.