This blood orange kale salad with fennel and avocado is a refreshing dish to serve as a side dish or a light meal. It’s filled with fresh and bright colors, and tossed in a simple maple balsamic vinaigrette.

Blood orange salad
Last week I branched out and grabbed a couple of items at the store I don’t usually buy- blood oranges and fennel. I love the flavors of both, but don’t find myself using them often in my recipes.
I was craving a really good salad that’s easy to make, and this blood orange salad was everything I wanted and more.
Its colors are gorgeous, and it’s filled with nourishing ingredients like tuscan kale, shaved fennel, blood oranges, and avocado.

Even with the temperature dropping, I always crave salads during the week as a light meal or side dish. I love to combine different textures and colors to create the perfect, satisfying salad.
I served this with a side of salmon for dinner, and served the leftovers as a light lunch during the day.

What you’ll need to make this vibrant blood orange salad
- Kale- I love choosing tuscan kale for my salad base, but you can use any variety of kale or other greens
- Shaved fennel- the fennel adds the most delicious flavor, and is a good source of fiber
- Blood oranges- their bright and vibrant color truly shine in this salad, and add the most delicious sweet citrus flavor
- Avocado- when choose avocado for a salad make sure its soft but slightly underripe, so that it doesn’t turn to mush!
- Feta cheese- you can swap any cheese of your choice, or leave it out to make this vegan!
- Pistachios- slivered almonds or walnuts would also be good options for this salad
- Homemade maple balsamic vinaigrette

The key to any good salad is to dress the base before adding the toppings- especially when using kale. Massaging half of the dressing into the kale breaks down its fibers and makes it easier to chew.
This salad is a great make-ahead option because it stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days without getting completely soggy.
It’s simple to make, packed with delicious flavors, and so vibrant. You guys are going to love it!
