Are you looking for easy salad recipes to impress your friends and family? My Grapefruit and Shaved Fennel Salad may be just what you are looking for. Pairing grapefruit with fennel may not seem as obvious as pairing peanut butter with jelly. But when certain ingredients come together with the right dressing, the tastes and textures can really elevate all the components of the salad! This is true with this Grapefruit and Shaved Fennel Salad with Dijon Grapefruit Vinaigrette.
What is Fennel?
If you haven’t been introduced to fennel yet, it may surprise you that it is part of the carrot family. Looking at fennel, the bulb and protruding stalks may lead you to believe it is part of the celery family, but it is not. That said, it can be consumed much like you would celery, but the taste is quite different. Fennel’s anise flavor will remind you somewhat of licorice.
Most of the fennel plant is edible. Fennel seeds (also known as fennel fruit) and the fennel blossoms, as well as the bulbs, are used in a variety of cuisines.
Health Benefits of Fennel
Fennel has been shown to provide a number of health benefits. It is known for its antioxidant properties as well as having anti-inflammatory compounds. Fennel has long been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, including digestive, reproductive, and pain management. Medical News Today published a great article discussing the benefits of Fennel and that article can be found by clicking here.
The Perfect Summer Salad
The individual components are wonderful. Juicy sweet grapefruit is paired with the bitter anise taste from the shaved fennel. Combined with the crunch of cold cucumber, the bite of red onion, and the aromatic spiciness of fresh basil, this salad screams freshness! Add a little salt and pepper and you would be very pleased with the salad.
The Vinaigrette Brings the Components Together
But it is the Dijon Grapefruit Vinaigrette that truly elevates the components of the salad. The blend of grapefruit juice, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and shallots brighten up the flavors without dominating your palate. This simple salad looks, feels, and tastes upscale casual.
I would serve this with my Fanned and Stuffed Eggplant Ratatouille or my JUST Egg Roasted Veggie Frittata.
Start to finish, this salad takes under 15 minutes to make. This refreshing and versatile salad is perfect for a summer picnic or even a special dinner party.
This recipe makes four servings as a side salad or one or two servings as an entrée.
Enjoy!
This is an easy to make fresh and flavorful salad with a dressing that truly highlights the individual components and brings it all together! Over a bowl to catch the juice, section the grapefruit and cut into bite-size pieces. Remove the outer layer of the fennel and cut off the top leaving only the white bulb. Using either a large sharp knife or a mandolin (kitchen tool, not the musical instrument), cut the fennel bulb as thinly as possible. You should be able to almost see through the fennel. If not, it is too thick. Shave the fennel until there is roughly 1 cup of shaved fennel. Thinly slice the red onion. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds in the cucumber. Slice the cucumber into ¼ inch half-moons. Combine the cucumber, fennel, red onion, and cucumber in a bowl and combine. It is easier to separate the layers of the fennel and red onion before combining. Roughly chop the basil and sprinkle on top of the salad. Spoon the dressing on the salad and serve! Dressing Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl until it is all blended. It’s that easy! Consider serving the salad on top of a bed of arugula for a nice presentation and peppery flavor.Grapefruit and Shaved Fennel Salad with a Dijon Grapefruit Vinaigrette Dressing
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