One of my favorite uses for extra virgin olive oil is to make homemade vinaigrette’s.
Usually, a simple aliño made of extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt.
However, I also enjoy using herbs and fruits to come up with unique flavors to top on salads of different kinds.
In my family we eat a salad nearly every day so I decided to come up with something a little bit different using seasonal ingredients.
For this salad I decided to use fennel. The large bulbous root in the image above.
The more I learn about fennel, the more excited I get to grow it this year in my garden. (Yes, it’s the time of year that I have dirt and growing on my mind 😉
It’s a delightful herb with a wonderful aroma of anise (black licorice). The bulb is usually eaten raw in salads or chopped and cooked like a root vegetable. The greens can be used as aromatic garnishes to top dishes of all kinds.
Fennel also has medicinal qualities to aid in digestion, soothe colic in babies and has been a long time remedy for coughs.
It’s been fun experimenting with fennel and lent itself beautifully to this salad alongside cooked beets, blood oranges for a touch of sweetness, and red onions for a peppery bite.
To top it off I made a citrus vinaigrette made up of freshly squeezed orange juice and infused with red onions and fennel.
Beet, Fennel, and Blood Orange Salad in a Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 1 large or 2 small red beets, boiled and sliced
- one blood orange, peeled and segmented
- shaved fennel from the bulb
- red onion, thinly sliced
- fennel leaves to garnish
For the Vinaigrette
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon minced red onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh fennel leaves
Method:
1. On a plate arrange 4-5 slices of freshly boiled beets that have been cooled.
2. Top with shaved fennel, sliced red onions and blood oranges.
3. Top with citrus vinaigrette and garnish with fennel leaves.
For the Vinaigrette:
Mix all ingredients in a dressing or mason jar. Allow to meld flavors in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using.
Simple… Seasonal… Fresh.
For the Giveaway!
Star Fine Foods has agreed to giveaway one bottle of their new line of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a Tote Bag!
I’m excited to give my readers an opportunity to try out Star’s new domestic line of EVOO!!
So what do you have to do? It’s simple!
- Like Star Fine Foods on Facebook and share the giveaway on your wall. (Please leave a comment that you liked Star Fine Foods on Facebook)
- Like Spain in Iowa on Facebook
- Pin the Beet, Fennel and Blood Orange Salad on Pinterest.
This giveaway ends on Monday, February 6th. The winning entry will be selected by random.org.
Good Luck!!
This post is sponsored by Star Fine Foods and their new line of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
beautiful salad
Diana we are channeling each other today! Yours looks amazing, the fennel is so nice with the oranges.
Please do not enter me into the giveaway, I have too much olive oil in the house right now. hehe. This is a visually arresting salad. I love using fennel for salads during the winter because they are so much sweeter.
I like Star Fine Foods on FB and shared the giveaway (Pat Harmon Babcock)
I like Spain in Iowa on FB (Pat Harmon Babcock)
I like Star Fine Foods on FB and shared contest
I also like A Little Bit of Spain In Iowa on FB
I liked star fine and shared also
I liked a little bit of spain in iowa
I pinned
I liked and shared~!~!!
I like star foods,thanks for this great giveaway and for sharing this delicious salad and vinaigrette
I already liked Star Fine Foods on Facebook
I liked Star Fine Foods and shared on FB!
I like a Little Bit of Spain in Iowa
I liked Spain in Iowa on FB!
I Pinned the Beet Salad on Pinterest!
I pinned the recipe on pinterest
I liked Star Fine foods on Facebook.
I shared the link on my wall.
I liked A Little Bit of Spain on Facebook.
Hi there! What a wonderful salad. I have to day that I have never used our tasted a blood orange. I need to find one quickly. I like STAR foods on FB.
I like Spain in Iowa on FB.
I liked Star on Facebook
I already LIKE your blog on Facebook!
I pinned that beautiful recipe!
I just love Star raspberry vinegar, unfortunately I can’t find it in Las Vegas. NV. I’m sure the olive oil would be delicious in any recipe. The beet salad looked so good, it made me hungry.
We’re in synch today … I’ve just posted the recipe for a pie featuring a beet leaves filling.
http://dondehogar.blogspot.com/2012/01/de-gustos-y-complementos-culinarios.html
I liked them on Facebook!
Liked star foods on facebook
Liked and shared 🙂
Liked A little bit of Spain on FB
Yum, this looks delicious & refreshing!
like spain in ia on fb
Beautiful flavors Diana, The blood oranges make such a lovely presentation and the fennel dressing sounds lively and bright.
I already liked Star Fine Foods 🙂
I liked A Little Bit Of Spain In Iowa
I pinned the yummy salad recipe 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win!
Hi, i just liked their page and this couldnt come at a better time bc i was looking for somewhere to buy quality olive oil, thanks!
I “liked” their page. Thanks for the chance to win some EVOO!
Liked STAR Fine Foods would be neat to win the tote and olive oil. made the change this year and love cooking with olive oil!
I “liked” the Star Fine Foods page on Facebook. 🙂 I always buy Star Olive Oil because it’s the only one that actually looks green, like olive oil should look. 🙂
I already “liked” Spain in Iowa. Love the recipes.:)
I have pinned this recipe to my pintrest. 🙂 It looks delicious.
liked!! thank you!!!
liked them!
liked!
Liked 🙂
Done! I would love to win a bottle of olive oil!!!
Already liked Star! 😉
I liked Star Fine Foods on fb and shared the giveaway!
I like Spain in Iowa in fb!
I pinned this, but something wasn’t working, so I ended up having to pin from Safari on my iPhone so this didn’t probably show up on you pin counter. I’m Drvon Mussmon Hernandez on pinterest if you need to check 😉
Liked! 🙂 *fingers crossed*
liked Star thank you for the entry
I liked Star!
I like Spain in Iowa!
I pinned your salad – looks delish! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. By the way, I have a giveaway going on my blog right now for a Boba Baby carrier – 3 winners – ends 2/14. Might come in handy for you with the new little girl! You can enter here if you’d like: http://www.simplifylivelove.com/2012/02/boba-baby-carrier-review-and-giveaway.html#more-3169
liked! 🙂
Congratulations Lesly Christensen! You won the Star Fine Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Tote 😀 Please send your shipping information to diana (at) spain-in-iowa.com and we’ll get that out to you!! Congrats again 😀
already like them on facebook and shared on my wall
Like you on facebook.