Apple Fennel Walnut Salad

Name: Apple Fennel Walnut Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: apple 1 ea; fennel bulb 180 g; walnuts 35 g; arugula 60 g; lemon juice 1.5 tbsp; honey 1 tsp; olive oil 1 tbsp; salt 0.25 tsp

Quick answer

Total time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Fennel brings a faint anise scent, more fragrant than sweet, and a celery-like snap that plays against thin slices of apple.

Toasted walnuts add a slightly tannic crunch, and peppery arugula keeps the plate from leaning sweet. The honey-lemon dressing, just lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and salt, is deliberately plain so each ingredient stays recognizable. Sliced last and tossed straight into the dressing, the apple has no time to brown, and the salad goes to the table as soon as it is plated. In France and Italy this kind of salad turns up in autumn and winter, when apples and fennel are in season together, and it sits well beside roast chicken, where the fennel cuts through the richness.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

apple1 ea

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Wash and dry the apple, remove the core, and slice it very thinly, about 1 to 2 mm.

Prepare it near the end so it can go straight into the dressing before the cut surfaces brown.
2

Trim the fennel bulb, remove only the tough central core, and slice it 1 to 2 mm thick.

Soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and shake off excess water so the salad stays crisp.
3

Break the walnuts into coarse pieces and toast them in a dry pan over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

When they smell nutty and look slightly darker, spread them on a plate to cool and stay crunchy.
4

In a small bowl, combine 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Whisk until the honey dissolves and the dressing looks smooth rather than separated.
5

Put 60 g arugula, the drained fennel, and the apple slices in a large bowl, then drizzle the dressing over them.

Toss lightly with your fingertips so the leaves are coated without being crushed or wilted.
6

Transfer the salad to a serving plate with some height instead of pressing it flat, then scatter the cooled walnuts on top.

Serve immediately so the apple stays pale and the walnuts keep their crunch.