This salad is special for a number of reasons. No leafy greenery, a lot of crunch, very juicy and a lovely combination of fennel’s licorice flavor, the sweetness of apple and a savory touch of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette.
This salad brings brightness and contrast. It cuts the fat, refreshes your mouth, and keeps the whole meal feeling balanced instead of overwhelming.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Fennel bulb and fronds – This may not be the most popular vegetable, and that’s a pity, because it is rather versatile (like in Italian Chicken Soup with Fennel & Zucchini) and very nutritious. The bulb, stalks and fronds are all edible. Fennel, when raw, has a crunchy texture and licorice flavor. When cooked, the flavor becomes sweeter and more tender, and the texture more a ‘melt-in-your mouth’ experience.
- Celery stalks – as crunchy as the raw fennel and thus a perfect combination.
- Apple – I used a Granny Smith apple, as it is in line with the celery and fennel, being very juicy and its color fits with the rest. Other apples can be used, especially if you want to add more sweetness.
- Pine nuts – other nuts are also an option, like walnuts or almonds, or even pistachios.
- Parsley
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese – an alternative cheese could be Pecorino Romano.
How to Make Fennel and Celery Salad
Step 1 – Clean the fennel bulb by trimming off the fennel stalks, where they meet the bulb. Cut the bulb in half and cut the core part away. Easily visible at the bottom of the bulb, looks like a triangle.
With a mandoline slicer shave the fennel into very thin slices. Place the fennel slices into an ice bath. This allows you to wash any dirt away and it keeps the slices crisp. Keep them in the ice water for about 10 minutes.
Step 2 – Before you put the salad together, dry the fennel slices on a kitchen towel. Dry them as good as you can. You want the dressing to cling to the vegetables and when they’re wet that is not going to happen.
Step 3 – Slice the celery, the apple and chop the parsley. Transfer celery, apple, parsley and toasted pine nuts to a bowl and add the fennel slices.
Step 4 – Make a vinaigrette from lemon juice, olive oil, and salt & pepper. Add vinaigrette to the salad bowl and mix. Since it is a delicate salad, don’t mix longer than needed.
- Step 5 – Serve the salad in a bowl and sprinkle with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. You can also decorate with some of the fennel fronds. Omit the cheese if you want a vegan salad.
I hope you will try this Fennel and Celery Salad, its really worth it.
Fennel and Celery Salad
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 medium fennel bulb
- 3.5 ounces celery stalks
- 3 ounces apple
- 1/4 cup parsley
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper
- Parmigiano cheese (NOTE 1), shaved
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add pine nuts. Toast for about 5-10 minutes, until golden brown. (NOTE 2)
- Clean the fennel bulb by trimming off the fennel stalks, where they meet the bulb. Cut the bulb in half and cut the core part away. Easily visible at the bottom of the bulb, looks like a triangle. With a mandoline slicer shave the fennel into very thin slices. Place the fennel slices into an ice bath. This allows you to wash any dirt away and it keeps the slices crisp. Keep them in the ice water for about 10 minutes.
- Before you put the salad together, dry the fennel slices on a kitchen towel. Dry them as good as you can. You want the dressing to stick to the vegetables and when they’re wet that is not happening.
- Slice the celery, the apple and chop the parsley. Transfer celery, apple, parsley and pine nuts to a bowl and add the fennel slices.
- Make a vinaigrette of lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Add vinaigrette to the salad bowl and mix. Since it is a delicate salad, don’t mix longer than needed.
- Serve the salad in a bowl and sprinkle with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. You can also decorate with some of the fennel fronds.
Notes
- If you want the salad to be vegan, please omit the cheese or find a vegan cheese.
- Alternatively, place pine nuts on a baking sheet in a cold oven and set heat to 350 degrees F. The time to heat the oven is when the nuts are about ready. Please check as this may differ from oven to oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.