Ok. If you’ve never tried roasted fennel before, stop whatever you’re doing, so buy some, come back home and make this salad immediately.
I’ll just wait here.
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……
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Did you make it yet? Are you totally in love with it like I am?!
I don’t know how I’ve gone my whole life without eating fennel. Maybe it’s because I hate licorice and I always correlated fennel with licorice. Whatever the case, my life before roasted fennel seems completely empty. Yep, it’s THAT amazing.
The finished product smells and tastes, nothing like raw fennel. It’s very sweet and decadent and is amazingly perfect paired with peppery arugula. I was drooling all over the place eating this magnificent salad and didn’t want to have to give most of it away to my clients for their meals. There is the downside to being a personal chef. When you want to be greedy and keep all of a new fabulous recipe to yourself, and alas, you have to share.
I am so serious though. Next grocery trip you make, you HAVE to pick up some fennel. You don’t even need to make the salad, just roast away and eat it as is!
6 cups baby arugula
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored and quartered
1 cup chopped pecans
1 green apple, sliced into matchsticks
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
ORANGE CREAM SAUCE
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours (or I’ve found you don’t even have to soak with a Vitamix-win!)
1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
Juice of 2 oranges
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
Sea salt and black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Toss fennel quarters with oil, salt and black pepper
- Lay on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degree for 30 minutes, turning halfway through
- In a blender, blend all cream sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy
- Toss arugula, pecans and apples together and top with roasted fennel when cooked
- Serve with orange cream sauce and enjoy!
About the Author
I love fennel AND arugula, so this salad is right up my alley. Looks great, and perfect for spring!