Fennel & Mandarin Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

This side salad is bursting with flavor!  It may steal the show if you don't watch out!

Fennel & Mandarin Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cranberries (thawed, if using frozen)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced very thin
• 3 mandarins, peeled and sectioned (or canned mandarins)
• 2 Tbsp. mandarin juice
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4
Assembly time: 10 minutes

Make the vinaigrette: run cranberries through the food processor, then mix in olive oil, vinegar, mandarin juice, honey, salt, and pepper.  Process to combine.  You can make this just before serving, but if you make it a few hours (or a few days) in advance, the air will seep out and leave a darker cranberry color to your dressing.

Peel and section 3 mandarins.  Thinly slice fennel and toss in a few squirts of lemon juice (fresh is best, but bottled is fine for just a few squirts).  Add mandarin sections to mixing bowl with fennel and toss in the vinaigrette.  Can be plated and served immediately, or refrigerated overnight.  Garnish with parsley (if refrigerating, wait to garnish until ready to serve).