January does this funny thing where it tries to convince us that pleasure and virtue can’t share a plate. I don’t buy it. I want food that feels bright and restorative, yes, but I also want it to taste like something you’d choose, not something you have to endure for the sake of being healthy.
This orange fennel and chickpea salad is my answer to that. Crisp, juicy, salty, smoky, and quietly satisfying in that way that makes you feel you’ve done something good without giving up anything good.
If you’re raising an eyebrow at oranges with fennel, you’re in excellent company. It sounds like a slightly earnest pair, doesn’t it? And yet, once you taste the cool, aniseed crunch of fennel against sweet citrus, you’ll wonder why you ever doubted it.
A Surprising Flavour Combination
Orange brings perfume and sunshine. Fennel brings snap and clarity. Put them together and you get contrast, and contrast is what makes a dish feel alive. Then feta arrives, and it does what feta always does best. It turns freshness into something moreish. It brings a salty and creamy tang. And it anchors the citrus so the salad tastes refined.
And the herbs matter here. Dill makes the whole thing feel lifted, almost sparkling. Parsley, meanwhile, keeps it grounded and green. Together they stop the sweetness from taking over, and they make the salad taste, quite simply, finished.
The crispy chickpeas. Crunch and warmth.
A salad can be beautiful and still leave you unsatisfied. So I like to add a crunchy element. Roasted chickpeas do that brilliantly. They come out bronzed and crisp, and they scatter over the top like little savoury jewels.
Smoked paprika gives you a gentle, toasty depth; cumin gives a softer, earthier warmth. Either way, the spices make the chickpeas taste like a treat. So, although this is a Healthy January sort of dish, it doesn’t behave like one.
How to eat it.
I serve this Orange, Fennel and Chickpea Salad as a light lunch that doesn’t leave you prowling the kitchen later. However, it also works beautifully beside grilled chicken, salmon, or anything simply roasted. And if you want to make it ahead, you can prep the components in peace, then dress and assemble at the last moment. Most importantly, add the chickpeas just before serving so they stay audibly crunchy.
If you loved this orange fennel chickpea salad, try my Thai Poached Chicken with Vietnamese Noodle Salad for another fresh, herb-laced hit, or go warm and punchy with the Speedy Thai Red King Prawn Curry With Baby Corn.
Ingredients
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For the salad
- For the crispy chickpeas
- For the citrus dressing
Instructions
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Roast the chickpeas (25 minutes)
- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Pat the drained chickpeas very dry with a clean tea towel (this is important for crispiness).
- Toss chickpeas with 2 tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika or cumin, chilli flakes (if using) and salt until well coated.
- Spread on a baking tray in a single layer and roast for 20–25 minutes, shaking halfway through, until golden and crispy. They’ll continue to crisp up as they cool.
- Remove and let cool on the tray while you prep everything else. Prep the citrus and veg (while chickpeas roast, 15 minutes)
- Slice oranges/clementines into rounds about ½ cm thick, or segment into chunky pieces. Reserve any juice that pools on your board for the dressing.
- Trim fennel bulbs, removing any tough outer layer. Reserve fronds for garnish. Slice fennel very thinly (mandoline or sharp knife).
- Very thinly slice the red onion or shallots. Make the dressing (5 minutes)
- Whisk together orange juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey until dissolved. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and whisk/shake until emulsified. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes (optional). Taste and adjust. Assemble (10 minutes)
- In a large bowl or on plates, layer/toss shaved fennel, onion, oranges and most herbs (reserve some to finish).
- Drizzle generously with dressing and toss gently to coat.
- Scatter crispy chickpeas over the top just before serving so they stay crunchy.
- Add the feta over everything.
- Finish with reserved herbs and fennel fronds, black pepper and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.
Notes
Drying the chickpeas: This is the secret to crispiness — don’t skip it. Make ahead: Crispy chickpeas keep in an airtight container for 2–3 days. Salad components can be prepped a few hours ahead and stored separately; toss and dress just before serving. Storage: Dressed salad is best eaten immediately; undressed components keep in the fridge for 1 day. Fennel swap: If fennel isn’t available, use very thin slices of crisp apple, celery or thinly shaved cabbage for crunch. Citrus flexibility: Use whatever citrus you have — oranges, clementines, even grapefruit. Adjust the dressing accordingly. Make it vegan: Skip the feta or swap for tahini dollops or toasted seeds. Scaling: This salad scales up beautifully for groups — multiply ingredients proportionally. Note: Blood oranges changed to regular oranges.
