Green Salad Recipe

Prepare lettuce

Gently wash the lettuces, spin or pat dry thoroughly. Tear larger leaves into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large chilled salad bowl. Keep cold.

Slice fennel

Trim the fennel bulb: remove stalks and fronds (reserve a few fronds if you like for garnish). Trim the base and core if tough. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the bulb into very thin slices (about 1-2 mm). If slices are bulky, fan them open or separate into smaller pieces so they mix easily with greens.

Segment oranges

Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all pith. Over a bowl to catch juices, cut between the membranes to release individual orange segments (supremes). Reserve any juice collected in the bowl — it can be added into the vinaigrette if desired.

Prepare mint and preserved lemon

Stack the mint leaves, roll them into a tight cylinder, and thinly chiffonade (slice) to produce ribbon-like pieces. Finely chop the preserved lemon rind (discard pulp if included) into small pieces so it disperses through the salad.

Assemble salad components

Add the sliced fennel, orange segments, chopped preserved lemon, and chiffonaded mint to the bowl with the lettuces. If using microgreens or baby herbs, add them now. Toss gently to combine, keeping the salad light and airy.

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl or jar, combine passionfruit pulp, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. Stir to dissolve honey and mustard. While whisking continuously (or with the jar lid on, shake vigorously), slowly stream in the 6 tbsp olive oil to emulsify the dressing. Taste and season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you reserved orange juice from segmenting, add up to 1 tbsp to the vinaigrette for extra brightness. Adjust seasoning — more honey if too tart, more vinegar if too flat.

Dress the salad: Just before serving, drizzle about 3–4 tablespoons of the passionfruit vinaigrette over the salad (start with less; you can always add more). Using salad tongs, toss gently but thoroughly to coat leaves and distribute orange and fennel evenly. Taste a leaf; add more vinaigrette if needed (reserve any extra in case some guests want more).

Final touches: Scatter the reserved fennel fronds, extra chopped preserved lemon if desired, and a light drizzle (1 tsp) of extra-virgin olive oil for sheen. Grind a little more black pepper on top. Serve immediately so the leaves stay crisp.