shaved fennel and brussels sprout salad with apples

Consider yourself warned, I’m going to talk a little bit of trash on Thanksgiving. It’s hard for me because holiday-wise Thanksgiving is second only to Christmas in my heart. The thing is though, I hate rules. And Thanksgiving has so many. You HAVE to serve this or that. It’s tradition. I love tradition! But I hate cold casseroles. And until the day when I can call a big old professional range mine, or at least have two ovens, cold casseroles are a fact of Thanksgiving life.

Or not. I’ll keep lots of our traditions this year. There will be too many starches, and definitely stuffing, but I’m going to nix the casseroles. Because, every year after working for three days straight, there’s always a moment where I look down at the luke warm food on my plate and think, “All this work, for this?” It’s the friends and family and good food that I really care about. Sweet potatoes and marshmallows be damned.

With that in mind, I’m sharing this addictively crisp and crunchy shaved fennel and Brussels sprout salad with apples. It’s bright and lemony and just really good. Fresh flavors with a late fall twist – it may not beat out your beloved sweet potatoes, but it will be awesome cozied up next to them.

Note: the vegetables in this recipe are best prepared with a mandoline slicer. Always with these things, and especially with the sprouts, use extreme caution. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a sharp knife and do your best to keep the slices thin.

Shaved Fennel and Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples

 

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A deliciously refreshing shaved fennel and Brussels sprout salad tossed with sweet apples.

Author: Brooklyn Supper

Recipe type: Salad

Makes: four

Ingredients

• 2 small bulbs fennel, shaved into 1/8-inch slices (reserve several green leaves for garnish)
• 1 cup Brussels sprouts, shaved into 1/8-inch slices
• 1 red onion, shaved into 1/8-inch slices
• 1 apple, cored and shaved into 1/8-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped dill, plus several sprigs for garnish
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus several wedges for finishing the salad
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus a drizzle more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• shaved Parmesan to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss the fennel, Brussels sprouts, onion, and apple shavings with the dill and lemon zest.
2. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and sea salt. Whisk in the olive oil. Drizzle over the vegetables, and toss. Salad will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for one day.
3. Before serving, toss a bit, and then finish with Parmesan and pepper, fennel leaves, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.

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