Fennel and avocado salad with dried wild blueberries, almonds, and white balsamic vinaigrette
This winter I've been having lots of fun playing around with salads. Seems incongruous, doesn't it, as we associate salads with summer foods. However, there are plenty of ingredients -- not tomatoes or asparagus, but so many other things -- to mix and match for mid-winter dishes that taste just like August.
Nothing about this fennel and avocado salad is seasonal, at least not here in New England, and that's what makes it a great mid-winter treat. I'm partial to dried fruits mixed with crunchy greens, and white balsamic vinegar keeps the colors and flavors bright.
Fennel and avocado salad with dried wild blueberries, almonds, and white balsamic vinaigrette {vegan, gluten-free}
From the pantry, you'll need: almonds, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, agave nectar (or honey), kosher salt, fresh black pepper.
Serves 2; can be multiplied.
Ingredients
1/2 head fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced (reserve fronds for garnish)
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup dried blueberries
2 Tbsp sliced almonds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan
For the balsamic vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (available at Trader Joe's and most supermarkets)
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
1-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar or honey, or more to taste
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of fresh black pepper
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, assemble all of the salad ingredients.
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Shake vigorously until the dressing thickens. Taste, and adjust with more of any ingredient, to your liking.
Dress the salad with just enough of the vinaigrette to moisten, but not drown, the fennel and avocado. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes, and serve at room temperature.
More fennel salads:
Fennel, pear and olive salad, from The Perfect Pantry
Fennel, avocado and grapefruit salad with orange vinaigrette, from The Perfect Pantry
Shaved fennel salad, from 101 Cookbooks
Grilled fennel salad with fresh herbs and parmesan, from Proud Italian Cook
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I love everything about this salad, and I don't know why I don't think of raw fennel more often as a salad ingredient. Brilliant combination!
Kalyn, the key to raw fennel is to slice it as thinly as possible, and then it is so delicious.