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This recipe for a bright, crisp, tangy Fennel Apple Salad has my heart ♥️ and for good reason! My favorite part is the creamy manchego and dill dressing, it is the perfect dressing for basically any salad and a great one to have in your recipe collection!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Fennel Apple Salad
This is one of those salads that you will serve at your dinner party and still be thinking about the next day, and the best part….it only gets better! So you can pull it out of the fridge and continue snacking! The dressing is to DIE for and you can use it mixed in to any salad you put together.
Prep like a Pro
- Manchego: freshly grate ⅓ cup + more for topping
- Fresh dill: chop 3-4 tbsp
- Lemon: 2 ½ – zest one, juice the rest
- Olive Oil: ⅓-½ cup, slowly stream into the dressing while mixing to emulsify
- Fennel Bulbs: 3 or 4, sliced thinly using a mandoline or a knife, with a squeeze of lemon.
- Green Apples: 2, sliced thinly using a mandoline or a knife, soaked in salt water or a squeeze of lemon.
- Scallions: 3 chopped, green part only
- Slivered Almonds: ⅓ cup, toasted
Collect the Rest for you Fennel Apple Salad
Dijon Mustard (1 ½ tbsp), Japanese mayo (1 ½ tbsp), Honey (2 tsp), Olive Oil (⅓-½ cup), Salt and pepper (to taste).
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
- Massage the dressing in instead of just pouring it on top. Trust me, it just tastes better.
- When slicing the fennel and apples, a mandoline works really well at getting consistent thin slices, but you can use a knife to slice it as well.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- You can swap your apples for any type you want instead or even switch it for pears!
- Manchego goes amazing in this recipe, but Pecorino Romano, Parmesan or even an aged goat cheese will work great.
- Variations
- Cucumber Variation: This recipe is great with cucumber as well, so thinly slicing cucumber and adding it to the mix is a great variation idea.
- Protein Variation: Rotisserie chicken, smoked salmon, crispy chickpeas or even white beans are a great way to add some protein and turn this Fennel Apple Salad into a meal!
The Perfect Pairings
🍸 Drink: A fresh crisp Cucumbertini is perfect for this Fennel Apple Salad recipe.
🥘 Main: Lemon Caper Chicken Thighs and a delicious Potato Puree is a perfect dinner to pair.
🍨 Dessert: A Melon Ice Cream dessert topped with olive oil will be a great note to end this night on.
Fennel Apple Salad: Questions Answered
The dressing will last 3-5 days in the fridge separated from the salad. Make sure you store it in an airtight container and give it a good shake before using because the ingredients will separate a bit.
A mandoline works really well at getting consistent thin slices, but you can use a knife to slice it as well.
This is even better the next day tbh…the only thing is don’t add the grated cheese until you are ready to serve. It will last about 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
The raw fennel mixed with these ingredients has a crispy and juicy anise flavor to it. Think of a mix between celery and fresh basil. When it is thinly sliced and mixed with this dressing and allowed to sit it becomes very refreshing!
Fennel Apple Salad
Equipment
- Mandoline Slicer or knife
- small bowl
Ingredients
Manchego Dressing
- ⅓ cup grated manchego, + more for topping
- 3-4 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tbsp Japanese mayo
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 ½ lemons, zest of one, juice of the rest (save a little for the fennel)
- ⅓-½ cup olive oil, adjust this to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Fennel Apple Salad
- 3 large fennel bulbs, or 4 medium ones
- 2 green apples
- 3 scallions, chopped, green part only
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Mix the manchego, dill, mustard, mayo, honey, lemon juice and zest. Mix well. Slowly stream in oil while mixing to emulsify, starting with the ⅓ cup and add more to taste. Salt and pepper to taste, at the end.
- Shave the fennel and squeeze a bit of lemon to it.
- Shave the apples and soak in salted cold water so they don’t turn brown or add lemon.
- Mix the fennel, apple, green onions, almonds and add the dressing. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve with a mountain of manchego (if you are going to be eating it later, wait to top with he mountain of cheese till right before), black pepper and that is it.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is incredible! Could eat every day!
Me too Lacey! This is one of my favorites! Thank you for the review!