Just when I thought I’d exhausted every side salad recipe known to man, I randomly came up with this one. Crunchy and licoricey fennel tossed with a crispy and tart apple, then coated in a lemony vinaigrette with salty parmesan cheese. A bright, summery and light salad that can be enjoyed even when the weather is none of the above.
Fennel and Apple Salad
What you need:
- 2 fennel bulbs, fronds reserved, quartered, cored and cut into matchsticks
- 1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced into matchsticks
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/8 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
How you do it:
- In a large bowl, toss the fennel and apple together with lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt, pepper and parmesan and combine until well coated. For garnish, add a tablespoon or so of chopped fennel fronds.
- For the best flavor and texture, let the salad sit in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.
Fresh & Foodie 
What a crunchy bowl of fabulous flavors. And so simple. It’s a perfect little side dish.
This sounds so good. We grew fennel for the first time this year. And I have exactly one bulb left in the crisper. I’ll be introducing my lonely fennel to a little tart apple tonight. Thanks!
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This is the best combination! I love the crunch factor.
oooooh! you totally stole my idea! Well, kind of. I’m working on a post right now that uses similar ingredients – it’s nice to eat something fresh in the cold weather months 🙂
You know, I have yet to find an appreciation for raw fennel. I’ve tried and tried…but can’t seem to find the sweet spot for it. I do enjoy it cooked down though until sweet. But, I can see how the sweetness from the apples may balance out the anise-flavor from the fennel. I’ll keep trying. :-p Looks gorgeous, too. Simple sophistication.