Fennel Salad with Celery and Pine Nuts

This fresh and crunchy fennel salad is a fantastic alternative to a classic bowl of leafy greens. Crisp celery and fennel slices get tossed in a simple lemon-oil dressing with fresh shavings of parmesan.

Fennel Salad

If there’s one thing the French love, it’s fennel, or fenouil as they call it (pronounced fen-wee). Here in the States, we don’t tend use it that often.

Fennel is kind of one of those plants or herbs (whichever you want to call it) that you see at the market and wonder how you can use it. It’s not quite as familiar as scallions or a bunch of parsley.

This fennel salad is one of the most straightforward ways to utilize and enjoy fennel. I love making salads like this because they’re light and refreshing, and they’re a nice change to the typical mixed greens or kale bunch.  

Celery, Parsley, Pine Nuts

In addition to fennel, this salad has sliced celery for some extra crunch. Both the fennel and celery have their rough ends and stems removed before they’re thinly sliced and tossed together. 

Flat-leaf parsley and pine nuts also make an appearance. The parsley adds brightness and brings out the flavors of the other ingredients in the salad, and the pine nuts add a little nuttiness and crunch. 

The Dressing

Perhaps more than anything else, I love how very simple the dressing for this salad is. It’s a simple mix of olive oil and lemon juice. Both are added in a 1:1 ratio, along with a fresh grind of sea salt and pepper. 

I like to let the salad rest in the dressing for 5 minutes before I plate it. Then I add some parmesan shavings on top before serving. I adore parmesan in salads. 

This fennel salad is a fantastic side to other dishes like poulet roti, or my personal favorite sole meunière. A gorgeous combination!

Fennel Salad

Yield: 4

A light and refreshing salad made with crisp fennel and celery tossed in a lemon-oil dressing.

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Ingredients

• 1 medium bulb of fennel, stems removed, sliced thinly
• 4 stalks of celery, stems and rough ends removed, sliced
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• parmesan shavings, to garnish

Instructions

1. Toss the fennel and celery together. Pour the oil and lemon juice over the top, along with the sea salt and ground pepper. Toss to combine. 
2. Garnish each serving of salad with half a tablespoon of pine nuts and some parmesan shavings.