WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: This salad, a mix of bright colors, lively flavors, and contrasting textures, is an edible advertisement for fennel. Since fennel is a classic Mediterranean ingredient, we decided to create an assertively flavored Mediterranean-style salad, with a balance of sweet, salty, slightly sour, and bitter flavors. For sweetness, we tossed a handful of raisins into a salad bowl, and for the salty component, we chose capers. Thinly sliced red onion contributed pungency, while Italian flat-leaf parsley added an herbal note—especially when treated more like a vegetable by tossing in whole leaves rather than mincing it. For the vinaigrette, olive oil was a given, and we liked bright, fresh lemon juice balanced with a little honey. Dijon mustard helped emulsify the vinaigrette and added its mustardy bite. Letting the fennel and onion slices macerate briefly with some vinaigrette for 30 minutes seasoned the fennel nicely and softened the onion’s raw bite. Just before serving, we stirred in the parsley and some toasted almonds.
Serves: 4 to 6
Total time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 fennel bulbs, halved through root end and sliced thin
- ½ cup golden raisins, chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
- ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Whisk lemon juice, mustard, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in large serving bowl until combined. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil until combined. Add fennel, onion, raisins, and capers and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Stir in parsley and almonds and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
