Fennel slaw salad with thinly sliced fennel bulb and a fresh mint vinaigrette. Great with seafood!
If you are firing up the grill this summer with fish or seafood, consider this fennel slaw as a fresh alternative to regular cabbage coleslaw to serve as a side.
Even my father, who runs from fennel as if it were carrying plague, thoroughly enjoys this salad.
Oddly, the naturally pronounced licorice taste of fennel is strongly muted by the vinaigrette, so only a hint comes through, and it is well balanced with the mint, shallots, and mustard.
Fennel Slaw with Mint Vinaigrette Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Marinating time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4-6
The sugar helps bring out the natural sweetness of the fennel, don’t leave out!
Ingredients
- 1 large fennel bulb (or 2 medium bulbs)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 2 teaspoons minced shallot or onion
Method
1 Make the vinaigrette: Put the lemon juice, shallot, mustard, salt, sugar and mint in a blender and pulse briefly to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until it is well combined.
2 Shave the fennel into thin slices: Using a mandoline, shave the fennel into 1/8 inch slices starting from the bottom of the bulb. Don’t worry about coring the fennel bulb, it’s unnecessary. If you don’t have a mandoline, slice the bulb as thin as you can. Chop some of the fennel fronds as well to toss in with the salad.
3 Marinate fennel with vinaigrette: Toss with the fennel and marinate for at least an hour. Serve this salad either cold or at room temperature.
Links:
Beet and fennel salad from Lydia of The Perfect Pantry
Warm beef and shaved fennel salad from Marc of No Recipes
