Shaved Fennel & Apple Salad

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I’m back!  After a business trip to Victoria, being sick, and the general craziness of life, I am excited to be cooking again.  Today I’ll be sharing my final licorice recipe for Flavor of the Month (spanned over a couple of months, but nobody’s perfect).  

During this Flavor of the Month, I knew I wanted to share at least one recipe featuring fennel.  It’s a great vegetable with a mild licorice flavor that I don’t think a lot of people have tried.  It also happens to pair wonderfully with apple, so this salad is a nice option for fall.  I know as the bounty of summer produce disappears it’s sometimes harder to figure out how to have a nice fresh crunchy salad, so I’m thankful to have this one in my back pocket.

Let’s get to it!

The first order of business is making the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, add the olive oil, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt. 

I like using apple juice to add a touch of sweetness but also like the zip that apple cider vinegar adds. Shake or whisk until it’s blended together.  

Now slice the fennel thinly, some fennel can be fibrous if cut too thickly. Next, cut the apple in thin wedges and then into bite-sized chunks (check out my apple taste taste if you need some ideas on which type of apple to use). Toss the apple and fennel in a bowl with the shredded parmesan. 

Give the vinaigrette a final shake/stir and pour that over.  Toss it all together until the parmesan and vinaigrette are evenly dispersed.

Sprinkle the pepitas on top and garnish with a few shavings of parmesan and some of the fronds from the fennel.

This salad has several textural components I really like.  The apple is nice and crisp and the pepitas add some crunch.  The parmesan adds a nice salty and nutty flavor that balances well with the sweet apple and almost floral taste of the fennel.  If you’ve never tried fennel before, I feel like this salad is a good way to dive in!  It has a mild licorice flavor with a crunchy texture.

Enjoy!