Fennel-Apple Salad With Walnuts

Made this a day in advance, using one granny smith and one tart red apple (heirloom variety, not sure which) - and then forgot to add the parmesan and walnuts before serving. It was wonderful without, and stands up on its own as a nice, fresh side. Second day, I added this to an arugula salad with goat cheese, beets, toasted walnuts, and a lemon vinaigrette, which added nice texture and body, in addition to the flavor.

Also good with hazelnuts or pecans. In fact, I tossed in some sugared pecans with the toasted ones and it added a nice dimension.

Mmmm and I think blue cheese instead of parm would be delish!

I prepared this salad 2 days ahead. I sliced the fennel and appel and stirred them with lemon juice. Tossed the whole thing into a ziploc and left it in the refrigerator. Once in a while i would turn the bag just to ensure the lemon stays on all the ingredients. It came out perfectly. Assembled last minute. It was even great on day 3 and 4! No browning and taste very fresh. One other advice, use a mandoline that slices thinly - just before paper thin thickness. Great recipe!

Truly delicious! I prepared about 1/4 the amount for the two of us. You don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy this one. (Even my little parrot loved it.)

The finest setting on the mandoline was too thin. 1/4" for the fennel & celery and 3/8" for the apple seemed about right. I used crumbled gorgonzola and spicy candied pecans (from Trader Joe's). Excellent basic citrus viniagrette; I'm going to try it with lime juice next.

I have made this salad just as is and with the addition of pomegranate seeds for color. I love this recipe for a buffet as it stands up over time and doesn't wilt as a lettuce salad can. Also have substituted goat cheese for the parmesan. Excellent salad.

In the dead of winter (or frigid spring) this is a perfectly fresh salad. Too lazy to bust out the mandolin so I hand sliced (!). Then I caramelized the walnuts with 2tbs brown sugar and 1/2 tsp rosemary sea salt over medium heat until melted, then cooled on parchment. That plus a dribble of honey in the dressing made this perfect for my taste.

This was not a hit, alas. Don't make this if you're not a fan of fennel, it is by far the dominant flavor. We got by with ONE large fennel bulb--3 was way too much. The flavors did not mesh; the vinaigrette was too bland. I would not use lemon juice again, perhaps champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar would be more interesting. I'd also substitute the cheese for something zingy-er as well. Also, cut the apples into quarters after slicing.

Jose Andres has a version of this at Jaleo that uses a sherry vinaigrette and manchego. It’s really very good. I really don’t miss lettuce in this.

Since I found this recipe I've made it almost every week! I have yet to make the full recipe because I get so much out of just two fennel bulbs. Swapped the walnuts for pecans, because let's be honest, pecans are better. I find it does not *need* the parm or any cheese, but a funky blue cheese is a welcome addition. For a nice lunch, I will add some canned tuna on top and baby spinach.

I make a similar salad with fennel, Savoy, or Napa cabbage cut into ribbons. I use Fuji or Gala apples for a contrast of sweetness. The vinaigrette adds creme fraiche from a Chez Panisse recipe (mayonnaise works too). I use a slightly sweet Unio Moscatel vinegar to soak raisins or golden raisins for 25 minutes or so, then I add the raisins to the salad and use the vinegar in the vinaigrette. The contrast of the sweet elements works wonderfully with the fennel or cabbage and with the walnuts.

I prepared this salad 2 days ahead. I sliced the fennel and appel and stirred them with lemon juice. Tossed the whole thing into a ziploc and left it in the refrigerator. Once in a while i would turn the bag. It came out perfectly. Assembled last minute. It was even great on day 3 and 4! No browning and taste very fresh. One other advice, use a mandoline that slices thinly - just before paper thin thickness. Pecans for walnuts? Blue cheese instead of parm?

I used Honeycrisp apples, instead of Granny Smith and toasted pecans instead of toasted walnuts. I added a handful of dried Montmorency cherries which made the salad evocative of the Waldorf salad my family used it serve at Thanksgiving, although it was much lighter and refreshing. Delicious!

I like to add: 3 cups of white seedless grapes 2 T white wine vinegar Increase olive oil to 1/3 C Slice fennel and celery ahead and store covered in water with a little lemon juice in refrigerator. Drain before tossing.