What You Can Expect From This Recipe

If you’re wondering what to serve with Paella, this fresh, crisp and colorful salad is the perfect complement to everyone’s favorite Spanish dish.

The salad captures the essence of Spain with it’s vibrant ingredients: Spanish olives, Marcona almonds, sliced fennel and juicy orange slices.

The vinaigrette is bright and flavorful yet incredibly simple to prepare. Made with sherry vinegar-a staple of Spanish cuisine-and a touch of honey, it delivers a delightful balance of sweet and salty, enhancing the olives’ briny flavor.

The fennel brings a refreshing crunch. The sweetness of the orange along with a bite of a salty olive is an exciting combo. Together, the vivid colors and bold flavors make this beautiful salad to dig into.

If you’ve never “supremed” an orange, this recipe is a great opportunity to learn! This culinary technique removes the peel and pith, leaving you with clean slices for a more professional presentation.

Years ago I attended a cooking class at Sur la Table titled, “Great Paella at Home” where this Spanish Fennel Orange and Olive Salad was served as a side dish for Paella. While the class focused on the technique to make Paella, this salad was a stand-out side dish for the main course.

With it’s outstanding flavor, varied textures and colorful presentation, this salad is a wonderful accompaniment for Paella.

Let’s take a look.

Ingredients To Make The Spanish Salad Dressing

The ingredients to make the dressing for this Spanish salad are classic. Blending extra virgin olive oil with vinegar, salt and pepper, shallots and some honey for a sweet balance. What makes this vinaigrette special is the use of Sherry Vinegar.

• Sherry Vinegar: Sherry is a product of the Andalusia region of Spain. So using Sherry vinegar makes this a pure Spanish themed salad. Sherry Vinegar brings a complex sharp, tangy acid flavor with notes of caramel and nuttiness. If you’ve never used Sherry Vinegar, you’re in for a treat.

Ingredients To Make The Salad

• Salad Greens: Use a good mix for color and texture. I like Bibb Lettuce, Arugula, and Baby Spinach.
• Pitted Spanish Olives: A good grocery store with a well stocked olive bar will offer a mix of Spanish olives. The most common will include Manzanilla olives. If you can’t find Spanish olives a good mix of Greek olives will work well here.
• Fennel: With a white bulb, green stalks and dill like fronds, we’ll use it raw and sliced. It will bring a note of anise flavor to the salad. Fennel is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking.
• Marcona Almonds: Marcona almonds are a sweet gourmet almond from Spain. You’ll find them near the olive bar at the grocery store.
• Oranges: You’ll learn how to “Supreme” oranges below.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Step 1: We’ll need to prepare the oranges to remove the peel and the white pith. Then cut between the membranes to make orange slices.

2. Step 2: Make the vinaigrette for the salad: Whisk shallot, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Gradually and vigorously whisk in olive oil to blend well. Set aside and prepare the salad.

3. Step 3: Prepare the fennel: Using a knife, remove the top green part of the fennel bulb, leaving only the white part. Remove the tough outer leaves then slice the fennel as thin as you can. You can use a mandolin if you’d like. Remove and discard any of the obvious pieces of the core, as I have placed on the right hand side of the photo.

4. Step 4: Assemble the salad:Toss greens, fennel, orange segments, almonds and olives in large bowl; Toss with enough vinaigrette to thoroughly coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe for Fennel Orange and Olive Salad

Add some fennel fronds for garnish and you’ve got a dramatic and delicious side dish. I hope you give this recipe a try, especially if you’re looking for that perfect paella side dish, or Spanish side dishes. It’s simply a great salad to go with paella.

Explore More Side Dish Salad Recipes:

As you know, I cook a lot of Southwestern and Mexican Food Recipes, so if you’re in the mood for a spicier salad version, take a look at my Southwestern Salad Recipe.