Salad: United States – Citrus-Fennel Watercress Salad with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 0 min

Additional 5 min

Total 20 min

Ingredients

1 small fennel bulb, core removed, very thinly shaved
1 large grapefruit, segmented (reserve 1–2 tbsp juice)
1 large orange (or 2 mandarins), segmented
1 small seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
4 cups (120 g) watercress, loosely packed
1 / 2 cup (15 g) fresh mint leaves
1 / 2 cup (15 g) cilantro leaves and tender stems
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 / 3 cup (45 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (black or white)
2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
1 tbsp reserved citrus juice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 to 2 tsp honey (to taste)
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 / 4 tsp red pepper flakes (or thinly sliced fresh chili)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil
Pinch of kosher salt and white pepper

Instructions

Segment grapefruit and orange over a bowl to catch juices; reserve 1–2 tablespoons of the mixed juice for the dressing.
Optional: Soak shaved fennel in ice water 5 minutes to crisp, then drain and pat dry.
Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk rice vinegar, reserved citrus juice, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and chili. Whisk in toasted sesame oil and neutral oil until emulsified. Season with a pinch of salt and white pepper.
In a large bowl, combine fennel, cucumber, radishes, watercress, mint, cilantro, and scallions.
Drizzle about half the vinaigrette over the greens and toss gently to coat.
Add citrus segments and most of the peanuts; toss lightly just to distribute. Taste and add more dressing as desired.
Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with remaining peanuts and sesame seeds, and serve immediately alongside the pork belly.