From the roundup: 24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes Classic Enough to Please Every Table
This apple and fennel salad has become my go-to for Thanksgiving because it takes 15 minutes and it actually gets eaten. When every other dish on the table is warm and heavy, a cold, crunchy salad with a tart vinaigrette gives people somewhere to put their fork between bites of turkey and gravy.
The method is straightforward: slice the fennel and apples thin, toast the walnuts (the one step that requires attention because they burn fast), and shake together a simple cider vinaigrette. Everything can be prepped the day before. You just hold off on tossing it until the last few minutes before you sit down.
A note on the fennel: if anyone at your table is skeptical about it raw, the thin slicing really does matter. Cut thick and it tastes sharp and a little medicinal. Cut to almost see-through and it turns sweet and mild, closer to celery than anything else. A mandoline makes this easy, but a sharp knife and some patience works too.
Why you will love this
- Done in 15 minutes of actual hands-on work, with only the walnut toasting requiring you to stay nearby.
- Holds up well on a Thanksgiving buffet because the fennel stays crisp much longer than lettuce would.
- The vinaigrette uses pantry staples: cider vinegar, Dijon, honey, olive oil.
- Serves 8 as a side, which makes it practical for a holiday table without doubling the recipe.
- Walnuts and Parmesan shavings add enough substance that it does not feel like an afterthought next to the heavier dishes.
Tips for success
- Slice the fennel at 1/8 inch or thinner. Anything thicker and the raw fennel flavor is too strong and the texture feels tough. If you do not have a mandoline, use your sharpest knife and go slow.
- Watch the walnuts at the 6-minute mark. They go from perfectly toasted to bitter and dark in under two minutes. Pull them when they smell nutty and look one shade deeper than when they went in.
- Dress the salad gradually. Add two-thirds of the vinaigrette first, toss, then taste a piece of fennel before adding the rest. The apple releases a little juice as it sits, which can make the salad watery if you overdress it.
- If you are slicing apples more than 10 minutes before serving, toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice right away. Even Honeycrisp will start to brown faster than you expect once it is cut.
Make-ahead: what to do when
- Walnuts: toast up to one day ahead and store in an open bowl at room temperature. Do not seal them while warm or they get soft.
- Fennel: slice the day before and keep in cold water with a little lemon juice in the fridge. Drain and pat dry before assembling.
- Apples: best sliced the day of. If you must do them ahead, keep them submerged in cold lemon water in the fridge for up to a few hours.
- Vinaigrette: keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to five days. Shake well before using since the olive oil will solidify slightly when cold.
Substitutions
Pecans or pepitas work in place of walnuts if you are cooking for someone with a tree nut allergy. Pecorino Romano can substitute for the Parmesan, though it is a little saltier, so taste the salad before adding any extra salt. Granny Smith apples are a good swap if you want a sharper, more tart bite instead of the sweetness you get from Honeycrisp or Fuji.
If you are out of apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar is the closest substitute. It keeps the brightness but you lose a bit of the apple flavor that ties the whole dressing together. A little extra honey can help balance it if the dressing tastes too sharp.
Make-ahead and storage
This salad is best assembled right before serving, but the components can be prepped up to one day ahead. Toast the walnuts, make the vinaigrette, and slice the fennel the night before. Keep everything separate in the fridge and slice the apples the day of.
Once dressed, the salad softens quickly and is best eaten within an hour. Leftovers are edible the next day but the arugula will be wilted and the apples will have softened considerably. The vinaigrette keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to five days. Do not freeze this salad.
Apple and Fennel Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Toast the walnuts first. Spread them on a dry baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until they smell nutty and look a shade darker. Watch them closely because they go from toasted to burnt fast. Pour onto a plate and let them cool completely.
- Make the vinaigrette. In a small jar or bowl, combine the cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake to blend. Add the olive oil and whisk until the dressing looks smooth and slightly thick. Taste it on the tip of your finger. It should be tart, a little sweet, and bright. Adjust salt if needed.
- Slice the fennel. Cut each bulb in half through the root, then slice each half as thin as you can on a mandoline set to 1/8 inch, or use a very sharp knife and take your time. You want the slices thin enough that they almost curl. Drop them into a large mixing bowl with the cold water and a squeeze of lemon if you are working ahead, or go straight to assembling.
- Slice the apples. Core them and cut into thin half-moons, about 1/8 inch thick. If you are assembling right now, add them directly to the bowl. If you are waiting even 10 minutes, toss the apple slices with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- Add the arugula to the bowl with the fennel and apples. Drizzle about two-thirds of the vinaigrette over everything and toss gently with your hands or two spoons so every slice gets coated. Taste a piece of fennel. If it needs more dressing, add the rest.
- Transfer to a serving platter or wide shallow bowl. Scatter the toasted walnuts over the top, then lay the Parmesan shavings across the salad. Finish with a few of the reserved fennel fronds for color and a pinch of flaky salt if you have it. Serve immediately.
Notes
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