Pear & Fennel Salad
Serves 2 -3
Pear & fennel are one of my favorite cold-weather salad pairings. Lightly sweet & fresh with a pop from tangy feta, this salad is a great light lunch or dinner side.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe pears, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
- 1 small fennel bulb, sliced paper thin (I use a mandoline)
- Squeeze of lemon
- A handful of arugula or other baby salad greens
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- a few mint leaves
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon honey, optional
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Sea salt & fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice fennel into a small bowl (using a mandoline, ideally). Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil, a small squeeze of lemon, and sprinkle some salt. Toss and set aside. (I find that marinating the fennel like this for a few minutes helps it become more tender).
- Whisk together the dressing components, taste and adjust to your liking. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl, toss together the pears, arugula, fennel, most of the feta, and most of the walnuts. Taste and adjust seasonings again. Assemble on a platter and top with the remaining feta, walnuts, and mint leaves.