Description
A refreshing and crisp fennel salad featuring thinly sliced fennel bulbs, tart apples, and spicy radishes, all brought together with a zesty lemon dressing, pickled shallots, toasted walnuts, and jewel-like pomegranate seeds. This vibrant salad is perfect as a light lunch or a flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pickled Shallots
- 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt, for pickling (about 1/2 tsp)
Fennel Salt
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Salad and Dressing
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 fennel bulbs (1 to 1 1/2 lb.), ends trimmed, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
- 1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 radishes, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- Kosher salt, to season
Instructions
- Pickle the Shallots: In a small bowl, combine the very thinly sliced shallot with vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir occasionally and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad to allow the shallots to pickle and mellow in flavor.
- Prepare Fennel Salt: Using a mortar and pestle, gently crush the fennel seeds together with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until the seeds begin to break apart and release their fragrance. This creates a fragrant seasoned salt to flavor the dressing.
- Make the Dressing and Toss Salad: In a large bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the prepared fennel salt. Add the very thinly sliced fennel, apple, radishes, and the pickled shallots (drain the shallots, discarding the vinegar). Toss everything gently to combine, ensuring the dressing evenly coats the ingredients. Season with additional kosher salt to taste.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle the toasted and roughly chopped walnuts and pomegranate seeds over the top of the salad for texture and bursts of flavor.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately to enjoy its crisp freshness or chill briefly before serving.
Notes
- Use a mandoline slicer for uniformly thin slices to ensure a crisp, delicate texture for the fennel, apple, and radishes.
- Pickling the shallots ahead of time mellows their sharpness and adds a bright tang to the salad.
- To toast walnuts, spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6-8 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and lightly browned.
- For a nuttier flavor, fennel seeds can be lightly toasted before grinding.
- Adjust the amount of lemon juice and salt to taste based on your preferred level of acidity and seasoning.
- For a vegan and gluten-free salad, ensure the vinegar you use is compliant.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: fennel salad, apple salad, radish salad, healthy salad, vegan salad, Mediterranean salad, pomegranate, toasted walnuts, fresh lemon dressing
