Name: Spiced Orange and Fennel Salad
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 shallot, minced; 1 teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2½ tablespoons juice; 1½ pounds navel oranges, blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, mandarins, or a combination, plus ½ teaspoon grated orange zest; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin crosswise; 4 ounces ricotta salata, sliced thin; ¼ cup chopped fresh mint, divided

Why This Recipe Works

For a bright salad that could be made with winter produce, we turned to a mix of sliced oranges and fennel. Letting the raw fennel sit in a tangy, lightly spiced dressing made with olive oil, lemon, cumin, cinnamon, and a pinch of sugar softened the vegetable and allowed time for the flavors to marry. Sliced ricotta salata (or feta if you can't find it) added briny richness while mint added a nice fresh finish.

Before You Begin

For the most striking visual, we like to use a combination of orange varieties here. We recommend using a rasp-style grater to grate the citrus zest. You can substitute feta for the ricotta salata.

Instructions

Whisk oil, shallot, salt, sugar, lemon zest and juice, orange zest, cumin, and cinnamon together in large bowl. Add fennel and toss to combine; set aside.

Cut away peel and pith from oranges, then slice fruit crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Add oranges, ricotta salata, and 2 tablespoons mint to bowl with fennel and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons mint. Serve.