Ingredients
1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
2 tbsp. apple cider or white wine vinegar
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 fennel bulbs (1 to 1 1/2 lb.), ends trimmed, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced
3 to 4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 pomegranate seeds
Preparation
Step 1In a small bowl, combine shallot, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until ready to use.Step 2In a mortar and pestle, gently crush fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon salt until seeds start to break and are fragrant.Step 3In a large bowl, whisk oil, lemon zest and juice, and fennel salt. Add fennel, apple, radishes, and pickled shallots (discard vinegar) and toss to combine; season with salt. Top with walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
For the best results here, start by pickling the shallots before you slice the remaining ingredients. This will allow them more time to tenderize and will remove more of their bite. Fennel does much better when extremely thinly sliced, so if you have a mandoline, now is the time to pull it out (but be careful, those blades are sharp!). Use it for the shallots, apple, and radishes too to keep your slices consistent. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle to crush the fennel seeds, place the seeds on a cutting board, then use the bottom of a heavy skillet to crush them finely. Check out our guide to how to cut a pomegranate if you find them intimidating, or buy pre-seeded arils to cut down on prep time. Fennel has a slightly bitter taste, which appeals to some flavors more than others. We paired it here with apples, radishes, pickled shallots, and pomegranates, but feel free to try out alternate pairings. It’s wonderful both raw and roasted or sautéed, meaning you can really get creative with it. Check out our grapefruit & goat cheese fennel salad; our roasted fennel, delicata squash, & apples; our lasagna soup; or our fried halloumi salad for ideas. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
