This raw shaved fennel salad is a perfect side dish for grilled fish. Because it is light, fresh and crunchy: that’s all I was looking for. Slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Believe me, that really adds to the dish. It will make or break it.
Long time no see, Mr. Fennel!
Yes, that’s right.
Here in Spain it’s kind of hard to find fresh fennel. And even if we have an abundance of other fresh vegetables here on this tiny Spanish island, I still love to cook with fennel from time to time.
Fresh Fennel
But hey, yesterday at my local farmers market on Saturday there was this lady who was selling lovely looking small fennel bulbs. And I just had to have them. We had thought of preparing some grilled bell peppers as a vegetable side dish for our fish.
But this fennel also works brilliantly with it.
I decided to keep the fennel raw and slice it up very thinly. My mandolin slicer therefore is a kitchen gadget that I absolutely don’t regret buying. Even though it cost me an arm and a leg.
Mandolin Slicer
Pun intended.
I sometimes wonder then how I used to slice vegetables before I had one! Well, of course a very sharp knife with a long blade can help as well.
Just watch out for those fingers.
Easy Shaved Fennel Salad
Back to my shaved fennel salad.
Plain and simple: I added a little olive oil and vinegar, some fresh herbs I had in my outdoor patio herb garden at that moment (lovage and tarragon it was), pepper, salt… Pink pepper corns for garnish.
There you go.
Just keep some of the green sprigs aside to finish the salad with.
Anyone?
Do you love cooking with fennel?
Then also check out my fennel escabeche with oranges! That one is also the perfect side salad for cooked duck for instance!
Enjoy!
Shaved Fennel Salad Recipe
- 1 fresh fennel bulb
- a handful fresh herbs of your choice
- 2 tsp pink peppercorns
- olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- pepper
- salt
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Wash the fennel bulb thoroughly and pat it dry with some kitchen paper. Then finely slice or shave the fennel using a very sharp knife or a mandolin slicer.
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Transfer the shaved fennel to a large mixing bowl. Add the roughly shredded fresh herbs of your choice.
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Stir the fennel and herbs well. Then drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and white wine vinegar.
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Stir well again. Season the fennel salad with a sprinkle of pepper and salt. Add the pink peppercorns as well.
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Stir all the ingredients again and then check the seasoning of the salad. Add extra pepper, salt or white wine vinegar to taste if necessary. Stir one last time. Serve the fennel salad immediately at room temperature.
