summary

Bright, clean and refreshing, this simple fennel apple salad hits all the right notes and is a welcome addition to a rich holiday dinner. Using a mandoline will make quick work of the prep for this salad, but it will also make for a stunning presentation as everything will be cut to the same thickness. You can make the dressing ahead of time, but don’t slice the fennel and apple until you are ready to dress the salad.

ingredients

2 bulbs fennel, stems and fronds trimmed, bulbs halved lengthwise
4 celery stalks
1 green apple, quartered and cored
2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup walnut pieces
Edible flowers and fennel fronds to garnish (optional)
Lemony Dressing
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

directions

To make the dressing, add the shallots, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a small bowl and whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
Using a mandoline, thinly slice the fennel, celery and apple and transfer to a mixing bowl. Toss with dressing to taste and garnish with parsley and walnuts, plus edible flowers and fennel fronds (if desired). Serve at once.

notes

Don’t add the nuts to the celery apple salad until you are ready to serve so they stay crunchy.

It’s always a great idea to double a salad dressing recipe so you have one batch ready to go for the week ahead. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Salad dressing is the place to use best-quality olive oil. It really makes a difference in the finished product.