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Fresh, crunchy and balanced, this fennel & apple salad is a salad I make so often as a side to any meal. It’s the perfect side for roast chicken, grilled fish, or even a festive spread. It has rocket, sweet apple, crisp fennel and salty, nutty Manchego for a dish that’s both delicious and effortless.
It’s a crisp, refreshing salad that pairs the mild aniseed flavour of shaved fennel with the natural sweetness and crunch of fresh apples. Most recipes use a lemon or cider-based vinaigrette, but this version uses a glossy maple and balsamic dressing that brings warmth, balanced by the freshness of rocket and fennel. For more salads, you may want to try my crispy halloumi salad.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The manchego and roasted pecans offset the sweetness of the apples and maple for a balanced bite.
- Quick to prepare: Fifteen minutes and one blender – that’s all it takes.
- It’s a seasonal salad that works in autumn with crisp apples or spring with younger fennel bulbs.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Rocket – sometimes known as arugula.
Fennel bulb – this vegetable has a mild aniseed flavour, which balances the salad well. Shaving it thinly means the flavour isn’t overpowering.
Manchego – this is a Spanish sheep’s cheese, it’s salty and tangy. It’s great here with the sweet apples.
Apple – use any apple you like to eat. I would go for something sweeter rather than tart.
Substitutions and Variations
Cheese: You could try Parmesan, aged cheddar, or vegan cheese alternatives if you need to.
Nuts: Walnuts or hazelnuts work well instead of pecans.
Leaf base: Swap rocket for watercress or baby spinach for a milder taste, if you don’t like the pepperiness of rocket.
Dressing: Add a squeeze of lemon or orange zest for extra brightness.
Seasonal twists: Add orange segments and toasted hazelnuts for winter. In the spring, swap Manchego for goat’s cheese and pecans for pistachios. For summer, add cucumber ribbons and mint for extra freshness.
Here’s how to make fennel apple salad:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Finely shave the red onion, apple and fennel with a mandolin, or use a very sharp knife.
TWO: In a large bowl, combine the rocket, red onion, apples, grated manchego, and fennel.
THREE: To a blender, add the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth and emulsified.
FOUR: Toss the salad together. Drizzle with the dressing, reserving a little for the end, and toss gently to coat.
Cooking Tips:
Using a mandolin: I love my mandolin – it is one of my favourite kitchen gadgets as it makes slicing vegetables thinly unbelievably quick and easy. However, they are very sharp and, if not used correctly, can be dangerous.
Always make sure what you are cutting has a flat surface and wear a hand guard at all times. If you prefer not to use a mandolin, slice very thinly using a sharp knife or use the slicing attachment on your food processor.
Crispy apples: To prevent browning, toss the apple slices in a little lemon juice or keep them in cold water until you’re ready to assemble.
Roast the pecans: Toast pecans in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until fragrant – you’ll be able to smell them when they are done.
Don’t overdress the salad: A little dressing goes a long way. Start with less, toss, and add more as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Slice everything ahead of time and toss the apple and fennel with some lemon juice to avoid browning. Keep in an airtight container. Blend the dressing and keep in a sealed jar for 4 days.
Crisp, sweet but slightly tart varieties like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp work best. They balance the richness of the cheese and dressing.
Absolutely. Simply skip the Manchego or use a vegan alternative. The rest of the recipe is already plant-based.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you liked this fennel apple salad recipe, you will also like my air fryer pork belly to go alongside. You should also try my crispy halloumi salad and my tomato bean stew.
Recipes
Ribboned Courgette Salad
Salad Recipes
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Lunch Recipes
Grilled Peach & Burrata Ciabatta
Salad Recipes
Roasted Aubergine Salad
If you tried this Fennel & Apple Salad or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Easy Shaved Fennel and Apple Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 100 g rocket, arugula
- 1 red onion
- 2 apples
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 150 g Manchego cheese, grated
- A handful of roasted pecans
For the dressing:
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 8 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To a blender, add the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth and emulsified. You can also add to a jar or jug and use a handheld immersion blender.
- Finely shave the red onion, apple and fennel with a mandolin, or use a very sharp knife to slice finely.
- In a large bowl, combine the rocket, red onion, apples, grated manchego, and fennel. Drizzle with the dressing, reserving a little for the end, and toss gently to coat.
- Before serving, top with more grated Manchego and the pecans. Drizzle over a little extra dressing just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I made this with a bit of leftover cold roast chicken to make it a full meal.
This fennel salad with crisp apple and manchego is delicious; it’s balanced and crispy with a good salty bite from the manchego.