Fennel Salad

Mix up your salad routine with this fresh, crisp combination of fennel, apples, celery, arugula, nuts, and cheese that’s always a surprise hit!

This fennel salad is a blend of arugula, fresh apples, thinly sliced fennel, celery and candied pecans, all tossed together in a homemade dressing. A unique and unexpected salad that consistently garners rave reviews!

Tip: When the cheese is roughly chopped instead of grated, you get more concentrated flavor, which really enhances the salad. I do keep the chop small (pea size or a touch bigger) for a little bit in each bite.

Yield: 4-6 servings

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Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Ingredients

For the salad:

3-4 cups baby arugula (3-4 ounces or 3-4 large handfuls)
1 small to medium apple (like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuij, or Gold Rush)
1 fennel bulb, core removed and thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
½ cup toasted walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or Spiced Pecans, roughly chopped
2 ounces (~ ½ cup) roughly chopped Parmesan Reggiano (may substitute Pecorino Romano, sharp cheddar, Gruyere, or Manchego)
Optional: 2 tablespoons fennel fronds chopped; could also add chopped avocado, some dried cranberries, and/or pomegranate seeds

For the vinaigrette:

¼ cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (30ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon (20g) honey
1 tablespoon (15g) Dijon mustard
⅓ cup (75ml) extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt and several hearty grinds of the pepper mill

Instructions

For the vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake until the ingredients are blended. (Optionally, you may whisk together in a bowl, but the vigorous shaking helps to emulsify the dressing.) Yield: ¾ cup (enough for several salads; will keep for several weeks in the fridge and is delicious on a variety of other salads as well)
For the salad: Place the arugula, apples, fennel, celery, nuts, and cheese in a large bowl. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette overtop. I start with 3-4 tablespoons and then toss—I like a light but even coating, and you can always add more. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and any optional add-ins, as desired, and enjoy.
Storage: Leftovers of this salad hold up well for a day or two. (Depending on how fresh the arugula is, it may wilt a little but still tastes good.) I often eat leftovers for lunch the next day, sometimes stirring in half a small can of wild salmon or some leftover chicken. An extra sprinkle of crunchy nuts is nice too.

Notes

A mandolin works well to slice the fennel quickly and thinly.

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