This healthy salad recipe combines arugula, apple and fennel tossed in a honey apple cider vinaigrette. Add Gorgonzola cheese and almonds for an extra kick of flavor.
Before I get to the recipe, let’s talk about one of the ingredients, fennel. People have a love-hate relationship with fennel. Sadly, it's received a bad wrap as an unpopular vegetable. Thinly sliced raw or braised, fennel can be an enjoyable vegetable to eat. Combined with other ingredients, the anise-like flavor mellows. Nutritionally, it’s high in vitamin A, antioxidants and fiber. A few reasons to give this vegetable another try if your not a fan.
HOW TO MAKE AN ARUGULA, APPLE AND FENNEL SALAD
What You'll Need
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks
- 1/4 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled (optional)
- 1/4 cup almond slices (optional)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, Dijon mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly stream in oil and whisk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembling the Salad
I like to make sure that the fennel is evenly and thinly sliced.
The apple matchsticks are cut thin. Try to keep them about the same size.
In a large bowl, add the arugula, fennel and apples. Dress salad with the vinaigrette, then toss gently. Add gorgonzola and almonds if desired. Serve immediately.
A FEW RECIPE TIPS:
Fennel
- How to choose fennel: Look for green bulbs without brown markings. The fronds should be fluffy and still attached to the bulb.
- How to store fennel: Store in a reusable storage bag or tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. The fennel will last for up to 5 days refrigerated.
- Peel the outer layer with a vegetable peel or with your hands and wash it well. No one wants dirt in their salad. If you peel the outer layer, add it to your compost. Nothing wasted.
- You can leave the fennel core in or remove it. I prefer to take it out since it has a harder texture. Be sure to slice the fennel a thinly as possible. You can use a mandoline to get even, uniform slices.
- Freeze the fennel fronds to use in soups, sauces or stocks.
Substitutions and Additions
You can substitute goat cheese for Gorgonzola. If you want to add a little protein, baked or roasted chicken is a great addition.
Ingredients
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 fennel bulb halved and thinly sliced
- 1 Granny Smith apple cut into matchsticks
- 1/4 cup Gorgonzola crumbled (optional)
- 1/4 cup almond slices (optional)
Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
How to Make Honey Cider Vinaigrette
-
Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, Dijon mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly stream in oil and whisk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembling the Salad
-
In a large bowl, add the arugula, fennel and apples. Dress salad with vinaigrette, then toss gently. Add gorgonzola and almonds if desired. Serve immediately.