Sarah B's Roasted Fennel, Blood Orange Mint Salad from My New Roots

Here's a yummy winter salad that will knock your socks off and make you feel like summer is upon us (if you can forget that oranges are a winter fruit).  One of the best things about eating seasonal is that the food tastes soooo good.  

This salad really simple, easy to prepare on a weekend while your significant other is shoveling the driveway, working on the computer, or doing other things without you!  He or she will be happy to tear him/herself away from their activity and join you in sharing a plate of this lovely (and also detox friendly!) winter salad. 

Recipe from My New Roots

Ingredients (serves 2 people)

2 fennel bulbs (1 per person)

3 blood oranges (you could also use navel oranges or grapefruit, but take into account that these are larger)

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt to taste

1 small red onion cut into rings

1 bunch of fresh mint (I to ~ 10 sprigs or so)

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F or about 175C

2. Wash the fennel bulbs and remove the green parts.  Slice into sections about 1/2 inch thick.  Place fennel in a roasting pan, sprinkle with olive oil, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Cook under fork tender, about 30 minutes.  

3. While the fennel is roasting, prepare the oranges.  Remove rind from the blood orange and slice horizontally to make orange rings.  

4. Cut the red onion in rings in paper-thin slices.  

5.  Roll up mint leaves (like you would basil leaves) and slice thinly into ribbons. 

6.  Arrange everything on a plate.  (I put the fennel in the center, surrounded with the orange rings, topped with the sliced onions and mint ribbons).  If there is juice left in the rind of the orange, squeeze it over the fennel (I did not do this).  Serve immediately.