Occasionally a friend of our will go out of town and empty out their fridge in our direction.  Close friends of mine know that I will make something of nothing.  That lonely sweet potato, I’ll throw it into this sausage and potato soup, and a random tomato always has a future in this roasted vegetable tomato sauce.  About this time last year, my friend Christie left for a trip and had just one green apple and fennel bulb left in her fridge.  She handed them to me, entrusting to me the random produce, and also gave me a beloved recipe for the pair.

This recipe for Apple Fennel Salad is Christie’s recipe and one I loved since that first time making it.  It’s simple, yet packed with flavor and a crisp fresh texture. But what I love the most about this recipe is how Christie shared it with me, not wasting the stragglers in her fridge and even giving me ideas for their uses.

Though I usually find ways to empty out our fridge into some random meal before we leave for a trip, occasionally I too have a few items that don’t get used in time.  Now, I hand them to a friend with a idea for a new recipe and remember what a treasure I received from Christie with her apple and fennel gift.

Apple Fennel Salad

A fresh and crisp winter salad with green apple and fennel dressed with a simple lemon dijon vinaigrette.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 fresh fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, (and zest of half the lemon)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• dash of freshly ground pepper

Instructions

 

• Slice the fennel bulb in half and remove the bitter center. Then lay the bulb flat on a cutting board and thinly slice from the base toward the stem of the fennel. Thinly slice the apple. Combine fennel and apple in medium bowl.
• Whisk together lemon juice, oil, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper, in a small bowl.
• Pour dressing over apple/fennel mixture; add parsley and lemon zest, toss until well blended.
• Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.