Fennel Salad

Fennel is so refreshing, I love it raw. Shaving it is a great way to use it in salads because it really tones down the aniseed flavour that many people find off-putting about fennel. In fact, I’ve served shaved fennel salads to quite a few people who aren’t a fan of fennel and they all loved it! This fennel salad is a classic combination of flavours that’s an outright copy of salads I’ve had at fine dining restaurants and good bistros. The fresh, softly crunchy shaved fennel pairs beautifully with a fresh lemon dressing. Then a bit of parmesan to give it a special finishing touch and add an extra edge of flavour. Plus, it presents really nicely in this “carpaccio” style. Very post restauranty! 😂

What you need

And here’s what you need. While we don’t use the stems of the fennel, we do use the fronds! A little sprinkle on the salad to use as the garnish, and also to add subtle extra hint of fresh fennel flavour!

How to make it

And here’s how to make it. It literally takes minutes to make if you have a mandolin to finely shave the fennel!

What fennel salad goes with

This is a great salad to have on the side of rich meat heavy meals like roasts because it is so refreshing. It’s a particularly good pairing with pork and poultry – here are some dishes that I like to serve it with: Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x