This shaved fennel salad recipe is substantial, vegetarian, and an antidote to every sad side salad that ever was. Instead of meh greens, it’s got thinly sliced fennel that bends and twists but keeps its refreshing crunch. It sports nuggets of deeply toasted croutons, meaty walnuts (or pecans), and shards of Parmesan cheese that balance fresh fennel’s soft anise and licorice flavors. And just in case you were worried about palate fatigue, it gets a double dose of acidity and zing—courtesy of fresh lemon juice and a vinaigrette amped up with fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, and bright lemon zest.
Like many winter salads, some prep is required, but it can all be done while you’re roasting a chicken. If you don’t have a mandoline, you’ll want to use a sharp knife to cut the raw fennel as close to paper-thin slices as possible (do not try this with a vegetable peeler). Don’t throw away the fennel fronds; a few sprinkled on top make an excellent garnish.
Love fennel? Try a roasted fennel gratin with crispy bread crumbs, a shaved fennel salad with red onions on an open-face steak sandwich, or pair it with pork tenderloin dressed in a sweet-and-sour sauce, inspired by Italian agrodolce.
What you’ll need
Mandoline
$57 $54 At Amazon
Kitchen Towels
$16 At Amazon
Large Bowl
$18 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Sheet Pans
$119 At Bon Appétit Bazaar
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
25 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
½
6
3
1
¼
2
¾
½
2
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°. Place 2 cups coarsely torn sourdough bread on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and ½ cup walnuts or pecans on the other side (they cook at different rates). Drizzle bread with 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; season with kosher salt. Toss, squeezing bread with your hands to help it absorb as much oil as possible, until evenly coated. Bake until nuts are golden brown and croutons are deeply browned and very crisp, 8–10 minutes for nuts, 12–15 minutes for croutons. Let cool, then coarsely chop nuts.
Step 2
Meanwhile, combine 3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, 1 garlic clove, finely grated, and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Let sit 10 minutes to let garlic mellow and flavor the vinegar.
Step 3
Whisk 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into vinegar mixture, then add croutons and chopped nuts. Season crouton mixture with some kosher salt and toss to coat and let croutons soften slightly; set aside.
Step 4
Remove stalks and fronds from 2 fennel bulbs. Remove fronds from stalks and coarsely chop; thinly slice stalks. Place in a large bowl. Cut fennel bulbs in half and thinly slice on a mandoline (if you have one; if not, practice your knife skills). Add to same bowl along with ¾ cup torn fresh mint leaves. Zest ½ lemon over salad, then squeeze in juice. Season with kosher salt and toss to combine.
Step 5
Divide reserved crouton mixture among plates and top with 1 oz. Parmesan, shaved. Arrange fennel salad over; top with remaining 1 oz. Parmesan, shaved, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
Editor’s note: This fennel salad recipe was first printed in our April 2018 issue. Head this way for more great Thanksgiving salads →