Description
Salads aren’t just the summer! This gorgeous fennel and apple salad is great for enjoying as a healthy side dish during the fall and winter months, and will make a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving dinner and holiday table. Ready in just 10 minutes, this salad is also gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan too!
Ingredients
For the Salad Ingredients:
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 5 – 6 medium radishes
- 3 stalks celery
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped or whole
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (optional)
For the Lemon-Olive Oil Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and Slice Fennel: Wash the fennel and remove the stalks on top. Using a large knife, cut the fennel into half vertically, slicing along the line where the core joins the rest of the bulb. Cut each half of the fennel into thin, even slices.
- Wash and Slice Apple: Wash and cut the Granny Smith apple into half vertically. Remove the seeds and core the apple to get rid of the tough center. Slice the apples into thin wedges. (Tip: To prevent the apple slices from oxidizing, brush the slices with lemon juice.)
- Wash and Cut Celery: Wash the celery stalks, remove the celery leaves and cut the celery into half moons.
- Wash and Slice Radishes: Wash the radishes, and remove the green leaves and the root at the bottom. Next, cut the radishes into thin wheels and add them to the mixing bowl.
- Prepare the Lemon Olive Oil Dressing: Add the olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice and salt & pepper in a small bowl and mix to combine. (Tip: You can also use a jar with a lid to shake the dressing to mix it properly).
- Combine Ingredients in Bowl: Combine the sliced fennel, apples, celery and radishes in a large salad bowl. Add pecans and fresh mint leaves.
- Pour Dressing Over Ingredients and Toss: Pour the lemon-olive oil dressing over the salad ingredients and toss until the ingredients are evenly coated. Enjoy!
Notes
Fennel: Since this is a fennel and apple salad, and fennel has a particular taste that can’t be replicated, the fennel is the star here. I would not replace it without something else.
Apples: I used Granny Smith apples, which are the classic and widely available green apples. However, you may also use other types of green apples such as the Crispin, Ginger Gold or Antonovka apples. Green apples are best because of their tart taste (compared to red apples which tend to be sweeter in flavor).
Celery: Celery is great for providing a nice crunch. However, you may also swap it out with thinly-sliced cucumbers or carrots for crunch.
Radishes: I like how the vibrant red color of the radishes’ skin contrasts with the rest of the salad ingredients. However, if you’re not keen on radishes, you may leave them out if you prefer.
Pecans: Adding raw pecans to the salad adds more texture and fall flavor. Alternatively, you may also use walnuts, almonds, or pistachios if you prefer.
Mint Leaves: Mint leaves gives a nice refreshing kick to the salad, so if you like the flavor of mint, I highly recommend that you add it in.
Olive Oil: I like using extra virgin olive oil because of its more intense flavor, but you may also use refined olive oil if you prefer.
Lemon Juice: I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best taste (instead of bottled lemon juice). Alternatively, you may also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you don’t have lemon juice.
Maple Syrup: I used maple syrup as the sweetener to keep this recipe vegan, but you can also use agave nectar if you prefer. Alternatively, if you are not vegan, feel free to use honey instead.
Salt and Pepper: Add salt and ground black pepper to taste accordingly. If you’re not a big fan of heat, leave out the pepper.
Storing: It’s best to store the fresh vegetables and the dressing separately in airtight containers and mix the dressing with the veggies just before eating. I would not store it for more than 2 days as the apples and fennel will oxidize with time.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: Western
