Fennel, Brussels, Kale Salad
Close up!
My latest salad obsession warranted a blog post!! Darrell asked where I found this recipe the first night I concocted it and I said, well I kind of made it up… I was inspired by a couple of recipes I’d recently pinned but thought each could be improved and the next thing I knew I was scribbling down my steps on the back of a scrap piece of paper so I could recreate it haha.
Fennel Season?
So I gather it’s not exactly prime fennel eating season (from what I’ve read that’d be fall/winter) however I was able to buy it at the store. We were already planning to use fennel for a different salad recipe and at Trader Joe’s it comes in a pack of two bulbs. Partially why I made up a salad is so I could use the other bulb. I also just love the convenience of their shaved brussels so I’d thrown a bag in my basket and already needed to use up some of the remaining kale purchased for a couple of other meals on the week’s menu.
Oh and Darrell loves to look up the health benefits of more obscure (in terms of what we regularly buy) foods and I’m here to report that it’s a great food to add into your diet… and it’s part of the carrot family, not the onion family, in case you were curious like us.
The Secret is in the Roasting
What makes this salad better than just a salad for dinner is the fact that the base is roasted. Maybe that makes it more of a “warm bowl”? I don’t know. But it’s delish. I started with roasting the fennel since its pretty dense compared to the kale and shave brussels. After it had roasted for about seven minute I gave it a good stir and added the massaged & seasoned kale + brussels for five minutes of roasting, then another stir and finally 5 more minutes of roasting. See the actual steps below for details on seasoning, oil, etc. but that’s the gist.
Ingredients
1 bag shaved brussels (or 1 lb of brussels shaved OYO)
1 fennel bulb
1/2 bag of chopped kale
olive oil
dried marjoram
salt
pepper
Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash of salt
Salad Toppings
crumbled bacon
grated parm
slivered almonds
broccoli sprouts
This could make 2 dinner servings or 4 side servings depending on your preference.
We enjoy this as a dinner served with air fryer salmon! (Just thaw if frozen, pat dry, spray with oil, sprinkle a little salt & pepper or preferred seasoning and roast for 13 min at 390 then check to make sure it’s fully cooked… depending on the thickness, 13 minutes might not be enough!)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop fennel bulb: cut off base about a quarter of an inch up, then slice about 1/8 of an inch thick; dice the slices into small pieces. (This helps the fennel cook faster and makes the texture less noticeable.)
Chop kale, shave brussels if not already shaved. Combine in a bowl and set aside.
Spray baking sheet with preferred oil and spread out fennel. Roast for 7 minutes.
While fennel is roasting, sprinkle kale/brussels mixture with dried marjoram and a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and use hands to mix/massage.
Stir fennel and add brussels + kale to baking sheet. This will make the sheet pretty full. Return to oven for 5 minutes. Stir and roast for final 5 minutes.
While the salad is roasting, prep the vinaigrette and any toppings.
Add salad to bowls, drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette and sprinkle with preferred toppings.
Tips
If you’re making the air fryer salmon with this, I usually start thawing frozen salmon about 30 minutes before beginning this recipe and then start the salmon in the air fryer a few minute after putting the fennel into the oven in step 4.
I use the microwavable bacon from TJ’s and love it for a quick bacon option!
Since Darrell is allergic to nuts, he likes to add pepitas instead of slivered almonds.
Gotta love a porch pic!
So there it is! I’ve gotten into a routine of chopping all veggies for the week on Monday afternoons and that makes this meal (and others) super quick!!
Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional and while I share what ingredients work for me or what I choose to eat (at my own risk) while dining out, I advise you do your homework when choosing ingredients and places to eat. I highly encourage everyone to do their own research when it comes to the products they cook with or restaurant’s procedures. I do not have celiac disease but rather a gluten-intolerance and I’m not an expert on gluten or other food intolerances, autoimmune diseases, or food allergies. I simply share the ingredients I have found work for me, the places where I’ve dined and my personal experiences.