Citrus Salad

Name: Citrus Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American Italian
Ingredients: 2 large oranges; 2 grapefruits; 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs (trimmed and thinly sliced); 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (toasted)

Brunch is a funny meal; many of the main dishes are sweet enough to make dessert seem almost redundant. That's why I like to serve this dish, which is bright and fresh from the citrus with a hint of licorice from the fennel. It bridges the gap between salad and dessert, ending the meal on a sweet but not heavy note.

Prep Time

5 minutes

Ingredients

2 large oranges
2 grapefruits
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs (trimmed and thinly sliced)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (toasted)

Instructions

Peel and trim the ends from the oranges and grapefruits with a sharp knife. Place a sieve over a medium bowl. Hold an orange over the bowl and, using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and let them fall into the sieve. Repeat with the remaining orange and the grapefruits. Squeeze the membranes over the bowl to extract as much juice as possible, reserving the juices in the bottom of the bowl. Place the citrus segments and fennel in a salad bowl.
In a blender or the bowl of a small food processor, blend together the oil, basil, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the fruit and fennel. Add the chopped walnuts and toss until all the ingredients are coated