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This crisp Fennel Apple Salad is best enjoyed when apples are at their peak in the fall. With crunchy fennel, peppery arugula, and a tangy apple cider vinaigrette, it’s a great combination of colors, flavors, and textures.
If you’re on the hunt for a fabulous harvest salad, this Fennel Apple Salad might be a contender. Take advantage of the best apples of fall when varieties are plentiful and the bushels are full. Fennel, too, is a great fall vegetable. Here, shave it paper-thin so you don’t have to work too hard when crunchy through each piece.
Red onion slices add a welcome contrast to the sweetness of the apples (I used Honeycrisp, but you can choose any you love), and arugula has a strong enough flavor to stand up with, not to, everything else.
I felt like Apple Cider Vinaigrette was a great choice since the salad has apples, and fresh thyme really tied the whole salad together. I think of it as a fall salad, but it’s perfectly refreshing all year round. I hope you love this salad as much as I do!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Apple cider vinaigrette: It’s easy to make homemade apple cider vinaigrette, but it’s fine to substitute your favorite ACV from the store, too.
- Arugula: The peppery notes of this leafy green play nicely with the tangy vinaigrette and sweet apple. If you can’t find or don’t love arugula, try spinach or baby kale instead.
- Fennel bulbs: To prepare the fennel bulbs, trim the stalks off the top (reserve any frilly fennel fronds for garnish on your salad if desired). Then, trim off the thick root end of the bulb. Remove any tough outer layers, then slice the bulbs as thinly as possible (a mandoline is helpful for paper-thin slices).
- Apples: Honeycrisp apples are my go-to for this salad, but feel free to tailor your choice to your flavor preference. For sweeter results, you could also consider Fuji, Golden or Red Delicious, or Cortland. For more tartness, try Braeburn, McIntosh, Jonathan, or Pink Lady.
Step-by-step instructions
- To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Whisk or shake to combine.
- In a large bowl, add arugula, fennel, apple, red onion, and thyme.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Apple Fennel Salad recipe makes about 8 cups salad, enough for 4 servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The apples, fennel, and red onions can be sliced up to 3 days in advance. Store separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Wrap the washed, dried lettuce leaves rolled in a clean kitchen towel in the refrigerator.
- More mix-ins: Tweak the salad vegetables and other toppings for what you love or have on hand. Try pecans, cranberries, blue cheese, fresh herbs, crunchy celery, or Parmesan.
- Lemon vinaigrette: I love the Apple Cider Vinaigrette here, but a vinaigrette made with fresh lemon juice would be equally refreshing. Or, combine 2 parts extra virgin olive oil with 1 part white wine vinegar, a tsp honey, and some tender fresh herbs like chives or chervil.
- Apple Walnut Salad: If you love a harvest salad, try Apple Walnut Salad with the perfect combination of crisp lettuce, sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, salty feta cheese, and a lightly sweetened Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Fennel Orange Salad: For a crisp, refreshing, and perfect winter salad, try Fennel Orange Salad. It’s made with crunchy fennel, juicy oranges, soft butter lettuce leaves, and fresh mint all drizzled with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette.
- Pork tenderloin: If you love fennel, you won’t want to miss my Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with roasted fennel and red onions. It’s absolutely delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
Fennel bulbs, also known as anise, have a mild licorice flavor. It makes an excellent side dish both raw and roasted, but if it’s raw, it’s best served in paper-thin slices.
To prepare the fennel bulbs, trim the stalks off the top (reserve any frilly fennel fronds for garnish on your salad if desired). Then, trim off the thick root end of the bulb. Remove any tough outer layer, then slice the bulbs as thinly as possible (a mandoline is helpful for paper-thin slices, but a chef’s knife works too).
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Fennel Apple Salad
Ingredients
For the apple cider vinaigrette (see note 1)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 4 cups arugula (see note 2)
- 2 small fennel bulbs trimmed and thinly sliced, (2 cups or 8 ounces, see note 3)
- 1 Honeycrisp apple or other sweet apple, halved, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (see note 4)
- 1 small red onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Instructions
- To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Whisk or shake to combine.
- In a large bowl, add arugula, fennel, apple, red onion, and thyme. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
Notes
- Apple cider vinaigrette: It’s easy to make homemade apple cider vinaigrette, but it’s fine to substitute your favorite ACV from the store, too.
- Arugula: The peppery notes of this leafy green play nicely with the tangy vinaigrette and sweet apple. If you can’t find or don’t love arugula, try spinach or baby kale instead.
- Fennel bulbs: To prepare the fennel bulbs, trim the stalks off the top (reserve any frilly fennel fronds for garnish on your salad if desired). Then, trim off the thick root end of the bulb. Remove any tough out layer, then slice the bulbs as thinly as possible (a mandoline is helpful for paper-thin slices).
- Apples: Honeycrisp apples are my go-to for this salad, but feel free to tailor your choice to your flavor preference. For sweeter results, you could also consider Fuji, Golden or Red Delicious, or Cortland. For more tartness, try Braeburn, McIntosh, Jonathan, or Pink Lady.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 8 cups salad, enough for 4 servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I made this recipe for Christmas dinner (8 people) and there were no leftovers, everyone enjoyed it. Easy and fresh, thank you!! I did substitute the sugar with organic honey (to taste) for the vinaigrette recipe and it was delicious.