Spinach Arugula Salad with Roasted Fennel, Tangelos, Pumpkin Seeds and a Citrus Vinaigrette

This Spinach Arugula Salad with Roasted Fennel, Tangelos, Pumpkin Seeds, and a Citrus Vinaigrette is the ultimate winter salad. It’s filled with the best winter citrus flavors, caramelized roasted fennel, toasted pumpkin seeds, and the most delicious citrus vinaigrette. I crave this combination daily in the winter, and sometimes I add grilled chicken or salmon to make it a heartier meal!

I have no words for the deliciousness of this salad. I’ve been making it for years ever since I first posted it on the blog in 2014 (what?!?! so crazy that it has been that long) and my mom and I devour every last bit of it, every time, in probably 5 minutes flat. I thought that the photos needed a bit of an update, and slightly changed the recipe and made it even better too! I literally crave this salad every. single. day. It’s sooooo good!

The combination of flavors here are just insane together. The citrusy vinaigrette paired with the roasted caramelized fennel and toasted pumpkin seeds is just fabulous, and the peppery arugula is a great addition as well. I know it probably doesn’t sound like much, but you won’t believe it when you try these flavors together. In.sane.

The vinaigrette on this is so wonderful. It’s a staple of mine not just in the winter, but year round. It’s such a delicious standard vinaigrette that can be used on anything and everything. I even use it on sautéed veggie and rice bowls sometimes! SO GOOD.

Also – how good is fennel?! I always forget about how much I love it until winter rolls around. I keep buying it on the regular just so I can roast it an eat it. It’s literally candy to me. Is that weird?

Also, tangelos are pretty much the best winter citrus ever. After blood oranges of course. You know my love for all things winter citrus and that I put it in just about everything this time of year! This cocktail and these tacos being two of my all-time faves.

This salad is fantastic on its own, but I really love to add salmon or chicken if I want it to be more of a full meal. And some crusty bread because you won’t want to leave any of this vinaigrette behind. Trust me.

But really – when is crusty bread ever a bad idea?

But yes. This vinaigrette is everything you could ever want. It’s similar to the vinaigrette on this salad, and it’s basically an everyday vinaigrette. Lemon juice, tangelo juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, shallot, a little bit of fennel fronds, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Perfection I tell ya.

I’ve made this salad with a mixture of romaine and arugula, kale and arugula, and pretty much whatever greens I have on hand, but the arugula is definitely key here. You can also easily prep the ingredients separately, and then combine everything together when you’re ready! It could totally be a meal prep friendly salad! And you know I’m all about those.

Literally the only salad I need this winter. And probably this one too. Don’t make me choose!

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Spinach Arugula Salad with Roasted Fennel, Tangelos, Pumpkin Seeds, and a Citrus Vinaigrette

This Spinach Arugula Salad with Roasted Fennel, Tangelos, Pumpkin Seeds, and a Citrus Vinaigrette is the ultimate winter salad. It's filled with the best winter citrus flavors, caramelized roasted fennel, toasted pumpkin seeds, and the most delicious citrus vinaigrette. I crave this combination daily in the winter, and sometimes I add grilled chicken or salmon to make it a heartier meal!

Course Main Course, Salad, Side

Cuisine Gluten Free, Healthy, Salad, Vegan Option, Vegetarian

Keyword fennel salad, healthy salad recipe, meal prep recipe, simple salad recipe, winter citrus salad, winter salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 2 -4

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the roasted fennel

• 1 bulb fennel, core removed, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the citrus vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon tangelo zest*
• juice of 1/2 a tangelo*
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 2 teaspoons chopped fennel fronds (the dill-looking ends to the fennel)
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon stone ground dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the salad

• 2-3 cups baby arugula
• 2-3 cups baby spinach
• 1 tangelo, peeled and sliced*
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted*

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Place sliced fennel on a parchment lined baking sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing one or two times during baking, until the fennel edges are golden brown and caramelized.

2. While fennel is roasting, make the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, combine tangelo zest, tangelo juice, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, shallot, fennel fronds, honey, dijon, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking until combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.

3. Once fennel is finished roasting, let cool for 5 minutes or so. To assemble salads, toss spinach, arugula, tangelos, pumpkin seeds, and roasted fennel in a large mixing bowl. I like to add a couple pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper at this point. Drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette and toss. Serve with extra vinaigrette!

Recipe Notes

*If you can’t find tangelos, regular oranges will work here too. Definitely try to find the tangelos. Sometimes they are labeled as minneolas. They are a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine!
*All of the components of this salad can be prepped ahead of time and tossed together when you're ready!
*To toast your pumpkin seeds, just toast them in a dry skillet over medium-low until they start to make a popping noise and they're golden and fragrant!

This post was originally published on 3/27/14, but was updated with new photos and text on 2/18/19!