Fennel Avocado & Citrus Salad
The wow factor of this salad comes from the contrast of crunchy finely shaved fennel with smooth avocado and a bright citrusy dressing. You will impress your dinner guests with this one!
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 Fennel bulb finely shaved
- 1-2 cups Baby pea sprouts
- 1 Avocado cubed
- 1 Large orange peeled, segmented, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Citrus Dressing
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1 Orange juiced
- 2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 3 tbsp Shallot or red onion minced
- 1-2 tsp Grainy mustard
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
Instructions
Salad Components
- Cut the fronds off the fennel and discard. Then cut the fennel bulb in half. Thinly slice the two halves of the fennel bulb. Add the thinly sliced fennel bulb to a large salad bowl.
- Add baby pea sprouts into the salad bowl with the fennel.
- Toss in the cubed avocado and cubed orange.
- Drizzle 4 tablespoons (or more to your taste preference) of dressing over the salad and toss until combined.
Salad Dressing
- Add all salad dressing ingredients to a high speed blender like a Ninja Smoothie Blender and blend until completely emulsified.
Notes
This week I opened up my CSA (community supported agriculture) box to find a beautiful fennel bulb tucked neatly within. If you are new to fennel, you are in for a treat! Fresh raw fennel is delicate and mild with a wonderful crunch! When sliced very thin, it makes for a lovely base that doesn’t overwhelm the other ingredients. The citrusy dressing is the star of this salad and versatile enough to be used with other greens. The trick to making the flavors of this dressing meld is using a high-speed blender to emulsify. Using the blender also reduces the preparation time because you won’t need to dice the shallot first. Trader Joe’s carries a really lovely white balsamic vinegar that adds brightness and a hint of sweetness to the dressing. If you can’t find white balsamic vinegar, you can substitute champagne vinegar. I served this salad with rice pilaf and garlic-lime shrimp. Enjoy!