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Thinly sliced fennel, creamy avocado, and pungent red onion get coated in an easy dressing to make this quick, easy, and healthful winter salad. If you have a kitchen mandolin, this is the time to break it out to thinly slice the fennel. If not, don't worry, a sharp knife will work just fine.
The avocado breaks down a bit and becomes part of the vinaigrette, making a rich, creamy dressing with very little effort. The smaller you chop the avocado, the more it will mush into the dressing (you can even mash it in, if you like). Like the effect? You might like this Avocado Vinaigrette for use on the salad of your choice!
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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2 teaspoons lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
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1 ripe avocado
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1 bulb fennel (trimmed and sliced as thinly as possible)
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1/4 small red onion
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, optional
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a medium to a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.
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Cut the avocado in half lengthwise.
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Twist the two halves so they "pop" apart.
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Remove the pit: either edge it out with a spoon, or smack the sharp blade of a knife into it, twist just a bit a pull it out (just be sure to use caution when then pulling the pit off the blade!).
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Use the tip of the knife to cut the avocado into slices or cubes—carefully cutting through the flesh, but not through the peel.
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Then push the peel, as if you're trying to flip it inside-out, over the bowl full of dressing and the slices or chunks will fall right out!
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Toss to coat the avocado with the dressing, mashing some of the avocado into the dressing, if you like.
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Trim off and discard the root end and the green stalks of the fennel (if there are some frilly leaves attaches to the stalks, reserve them to use as a garnish, if you like).
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Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and lay the halves cut-side-down on a cutting surface.
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Slice crosswise as thinly as possible (or use a kitchen mandoline).
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Add the fennel to the bowl.
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Peel and thinly slice the red onion.
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Tame its sharp flavor by rinsing the slices in cold water and then patting them thoroughly dry.
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Add them to the bowl.
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Toss to coat the vegetables evenly with the dressing. Add black pepper and more salt to taste.
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If you reserved some fennel fronds, use them as a delicate and tasty garnish.
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Serve the salad immediately, or cover and chill for a few hours—just be sure to cover the surface of the salad directly with waxed paper or plastic wrap to keep the avocado from browning.
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Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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199 | Calories |
18g | Fat |
11g | Carbs |
2g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 199 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 18g | 23% |
Saturated Fat 3g | 13% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 283mg | 12% |
Total Carbohydrate 11g | 4% |
Dietary Fiber 7g | 27% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 2g | |
Vitamin C 13mg | 66% |
Calcium 24mg | 2% |
Iron 1mg | 4% |
Potassium 587mg | 12% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |