Summer is for salads.
Therefore I’m usually craving them in the winter.
We I don’t often remember, but winter has good produce other than squash (not that you’d know if from reading my blog…)! Â I love the sweetness of in-season grapefruit on a salad, and the fresh fennel that’s in every grocery store adds a perfect licorice-like crunch to salad bowls.
Armed with these finds, I set out to make myself a giant salad for lunch. Â Summer memories, be damned.
Into a giant bowl went all of the fresh veggies I looted from the local farmer’s market. Â Citrus-y sweet sectioned grapefruit, a little heat from a serrano pepper, and my favorite – fennel – all played well together. Â Accenting those flavors were fresh cilantro and yellow onion. Â A crisp cucumber added a nice texture, all salted, peppered, and drizzled with lime juice and olive oil.
The perfect winter citrus salad bowl.
This salad will keep well for a day or two. Â On day two I served it atop bulgur I pre-cooked and then mixed liberally with cilantro and lime juice.
Bowl #2 was topped with blueberries… the little extra punch of sweetness turned out of be a delicious idea, FYI.
Grapefruit Fennel Salad
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
- 1 grapefruit, sectioned
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 T cilantro, minced
- 1 serrano pepper, minced
- 1/4 yellow onion, diced
- 1 T olive oil
- 2-3 tsp fresh lime juice
- S&P, to taste
- Blueberries (optional)
Mix all ingredients in medium-sized bowl. Â Add more oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Optional: serve atop grains or greens – arugula would be fantastic here.
Serves 1-2
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You could eat this and have a Granola Cookie for dessert.  I’m just sayin’… 😉
Do your salads change in the winter months?
What is your favorite winter produce (other than squashes and sweet potatoes)?
Is your favorite farmer’s market the dekalb farmer’s market? I went there on Saturday night and it was an absolute mad house. Much, much more crowded that normal for some reason.
It is… but I hear Buford is better. Just haven’t had time to explore it yet. It’s apparently HUGE.
I love the colors in this salad – unfortunately I can’t stand the taste of grapefruit. I’m thinking a clementine instead. 🙂
That looks so fresh and bright! I have a really hard time eating salads in the winter, all I want are hot foods.
Looks beautiful with the ruby red grapefruit! I just made an apple, fennel and celeriac salad last weekend, to me salads have always been year round 🙂 My salads might get earthier over the winter (more mushrooms and roots), but nothing huger.
Hmmm, I’d have to say radishes and parsnips.
Beautiful salad. I have lots of ruby red grapefruit in my yard. Now I have an idea what to do with some of them. Lovely photos. Thanks! Have a great week.
Grapefruit in your yard?! I’m so envious!
I love salads anytime of year! We just use whatever fruits and veggies are in season, to mix things up. I haven’t had grapefruit yet this year, that’s a great idea for our next shopping trip.
I really love this salad, and I happen to have all of those ingredients at home. I will certainly be making this. Did you try Woodberry and did it live up to the Grubarazzi hype? I hope you are enjoying the area!
Woodberry was insanely good! I wish I’d gotten better pic, but it was dark and I was really enjoying relaxing with the great food and company. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I love it. It uses two of my favorite ingredients.
Just the idea of this salad made me unbelievably happy and all warm and summery. In the middle of a snowstorm. (Thank you for that!) It also made me wonder why I don’t think to use grapefruit for much else besides eating with one of those sharp-edged spoons. I can’t tell you how much I need this salad right now.
Oh no! We don’t get snowstorms here (knock on wood). I wish I could send a salad your way! Though in a storm you may just need a hot toddy. 😉
LOVE this winter salad (especially the grapefruit!)…. I’ll have to give raw fennel another shot! 😀
Erm, YUM!! I feel like summer is near just looking at these babies. I definitely don’t “think” I want salad in winter, but once I make it I really enjoy it.
I’d have to say grapefruit is definitely my favorite winter produce though I must admit, I didn’t actually realize it was a winter produce item until I read this post!
I love the bright crispy freshness of this salad. I LOVE fennel and for some crazy reason there is a ton of it here. Thanks!
Since I dont have winter anymore….ha ha – I eat ALOT of raw zucchini spagetti. 🙂
xoxo from Trinidad
Quit running it in – given the choice I’d rather not have winter either! 🙂
I’m always craving salads! And living in Florida I’m comfortable eating them year round!! I love fennel and your mixing it with grapefruit sounds fabulous!! It is true there are plenty of winter veggies that go perfectly well in salads. Definitely trying out this one!
Thank you! I bet you get some great citrus in FL to mix in salads. I love adding orange too. Balsamic orange dressing… mmmm!
In the winter I pretty much get my veggies from roasting or soups. I miss summer salads but I do LOVE squash, kale, and citrus 🙂
Looks great! I love the addition of blueberries.
Salads are definitely not just for summer–I eat one almost every day for lunch. I’ve never done a grapefruit-fennel combo, but you’ve sold me on it!
Let me know what you think! It would be good with just about any citrus. 🙂
We’re just swimming in citrus and fennel right now with our CSA- love the flavors in this!!
What a beautiful, refreshing looking salad Laura – and I love the added blueberries!
No one could look at those gorgeous colours and feel angry at winter! Well, at least, I couldn’t once I picked out the grapefruit 😛
LOL! Try it with oranges. And maybe a cocoa vinaigrette? 😉
Thats one awesome looking salad! 🙂 I’ve never thought about adding grapefruit to a salad but it looks yummy!
Brilliant combination of flavors in a salad. Love it.
My CSA keeps giving me grapefruits, and even though I try not to eat them too often because they can interfere with estrogen absorption and mess with birth control pills, I’ve been throwing one in our batch of juice every Saturday and LOVING it 🙂
That’s a really good point to bring up – it’s one of these fruits you have to watch. Any citrus would work in this, I think!
This looks amazing! I love raw vegetables, even in the winter. I too, am a notorious squash addict, but I will pull myself away from it to eat this.
I totally have the reverse-seasonal cravings too! Lovely salad. 🙂