In my humble opinion, fennel is severely underrated when it comes to its use in the kitchen. I love using this sturdy, fresh, and anise-flavored vegetable with braised cabbage or greens, where it’s flavor sweetens and mellows out. Shaving it into a nice salad for a pop of crunch and flavor is also another way I enjoy fennel.

This refreshing slaw pairs great with seafood and I used it as a garnish for my seared red snapper recipe. If you want to keep the slaw in tact for a few days in the fridge, store the dressing and slaw separate and then dress the salad as needed. Let’s get working!

Fennel and Apple Slaw

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2-4

1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (see note)

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on bias 

1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced 

1 tbsp fennel fronds, roughly chopped

Note: to core a fennel bulb, cut the green stems and fronds off of the white bulb. Then, cut the bulb in half and remove the wilty or dirty outer layers like you would when you cut and peel an onion. Near the root end, there’s going to be a center piece that’s very tough to eat (similar to cabbage), so using your knife, cut to angled slices in the core (it should look like a cut out triangle) and then discard the tough part.

Apple-ish Dressing

1/2 large lemon, juiced 

3 tsp apple juice 

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp Dijon mustard 

2 tsp honey 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the sliced fennel, celery, apple, and fennel fronds. Toss together.

Then, in a small mason jar or deli container with a lid, combine all of the dressing ingredients and shake. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste (start with a small pinch and work your way up from there to your liking). Dress the slaw with as much dressing as you’d like and serve with your favorite seafood or chicken dish. Any leftover dressing can be stored in the fridge and used for more salads of your choice.

¡Buen provecho!