Shaved fennel is surprisingly a brilliant salad base. I still remember being blown away by my first shaved fennel salad. The fresh aniseedy flavour and the wonderful crunchy texture were like discovering a whole new food planet.
The secret to this salad is getting the fennel sliced as finely as possible. If you have a mandoline this makes the job easier, but a sharp knife and a steady hand will be fine. Don’t stress if your fennel is a little thicker.
This salad is a meal in itself. While I have served it as a side dish, it’s pretty substantial. I’d be inclined to ditch the ricotta and the almonds if using it as an accompaniment. Great with rich roast pork belly or even a classic roast chook.
Shaved Fennel Salad with Ricotta & Warm Peas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 medium bulb fennel
- 200 g ricotta
- 100 g frozen peas
- small handful almonds roughly chopped
Instructions
- Mix lemon juice with 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season.
- Slice fennel crosswise as finely as possible. Toss in the dressing. If you have green fronds on the fennel, finely chop them and add to the fennel.
- Heat a tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan and cook peas over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until hot and sweet.
- Smear ricotta on a serving platter or individual plates. Top with the fennel and scatter over peas and almonds.
Variations
dairy-free / vegan – skip the ricotta. If serving as a main course salad replace with extra peas.
carnivore – crispy bacon would make a wonderful addition. Or crumble and brown some pork sausages and serve tossed in with the fennel.
other adaptation ideas:
change the fennel – finely shaved cabbage is a great alternative.
change the peas – I often skip the peas all together or replace with some torn herbs such as mint or basil OR use cooked broad beans or lentils instead of the peas.
simplify – I’ve served shaved fennel dressed with just the lemon juice and olive oil as a wonderfully simple side salad.
try a different cheese – instead of smearing the ricotta, why not try crumbling over some marinated feta or even a sharp goats cheese.
Problem Solving Guide
too dry? – drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Fennel bulbs vary greatly in their size, so sounds like yours was a large one. Next time cut back on the amount of fennel you actually use.
fennel difficult to eat? – it’s really important to slice the fennel as finely as possible. If your fennel is a little on the chunky side, try cutting into smaller pieces.
Serving Suggestions
Makes a wonderful vegetarian main course on it’s own.
Also great as a side with roast chicken, fish (the recipe above will serve 4 as a side), or BBQ pork sausages (pork and fennel is another classic flavour combo).
Leftover Potential
OK. Although if you can, store the ricotta separately in the fridge and freshen up with a little more lemon juice before serving.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes