Fennel, Avocado, and Mint Salad Recipe
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This flavorful salad, given to us by Neal Harden of New York City raw-food restaurant Pure Food and Wine, proves that healthy, raw food can be tasty too. The balance of nutty pistachio oil, briney capers, fresh herbs, crisp fennel, and creamy avocado makes for a filling salad that’s good as a hearty side or a light main.
What to buy: Try to get pistachio oil, with its nutty, multidimensional flavor; it’s available in gourmet markets or online. If you can’t find it, substitute another nutty oil such as pumpkin seed or walnut, or just use more extra-virgin olive oil.
If you can’t find dry sun-dried tomatoes, you can substitute tomatoes packed in olive oil. Just be sure to find a brand that has no added herbs or spices, and blot the tomatoes thoroughly before slicing to avoid adding extra oil to the salad.
This recipe was featured as part of our Supercharge with Superfoods photo gallery.
- 1 1/2 cups dry sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
- 3 medium fennel bulbs, halved lengthwise, cored, and very thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
- 1/2 cup Pistachio-Caper Vinaigrette
- 2 medium ripe Hass avocados
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped
- Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and pour the water over the tomatoes so that they are completely submerged. Allow to soak for 1 hour, then drain and slice into 1/8-inch-thick strips.
- Combine the sliced fennel and sun-dried tomatoes in a mixing bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
- Halve the avocados lengthwise and remove the pits. Peel each half and place it cut side down on a cutting board. Slice into very thin, lengthwise strips.
- If you’re pressed for time, you can toss all the ingredients together and serve in a salad bowl. For a prettier presentation, layer the avocado slices in a medium bowl, followed by a layer of the fennel salad mixture, and finally some of the fresh herbs. Repeat until all ingredients are stacked in the bowl, ending with a layer of fennel and herbs, about 4 layers of each ingredient.
- Let the salad sit for half an hour at room temperature to allow the flavors to combine, then scoop onto plates.
Served this for a dinner party as well with some spicy Moroccan pies. It was a perfect balance. Love the dressing. Woot!
This was a big hit for a dinner party I gave. If you can get the pistachio oil, it's wonderfully nutty and a beautiful color. The layers of flavor in this salad are fantastic!!
This was great. I used walnut oil as I was unable to find pistachio oil at Henry's. I think I could have added a tad bit of sugar in the dressing to balance out the tartness of the lemons, but overall very good. So good that my gf ate it twice the next day and even told her employees about it. I haven't heard her rave over much I've made, but this she did.
I sounds delicious. Deliciousness is my only criterion. Don't kill my buzz!
I made a variation of this salad with crumbled bacon and fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried (much faster prep) as well as endive mixed in with the fennel. I served it to some guests and I think we all enjoyed it- I found it very satisfying and ate it for lunch all week.
With respect to the calorie police, I just don't think you can judge this salad's healthfulness -- or the healthfulness of any other dish -- solely on calories and fat alone. If you're going to eat for nutrition, then consider this: Fennel's got good amounts of fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamin A. The avocado is a great source of fiber and it also has lutein, an antioxidant that's good for your eyes. Sundried tomatoes: vitamin C, lycopene, beta carotene, fiber.
All that -- and the salad tastes great, too! Enjoy your food!
Delicious! My friends and I served it at a little appetizery party and it was great. We used pumpkin seed oil instead of the pistachio oil and it tasted great. You can also cut down on the calories by drizzling the oil on each separate serving.
It may be healthy in the sense of the word, but definitely not low-calorie. The (monosaturated) fat from the oils and avacadoes is good for you, but in huge amounts the extra calories may not be worth the heart-healthy benefit..
yes, it is amazing. it may be a slad, but it also turns into a sloppy dip when people drop the salsa and dive into this at a party, instead.
This dish looks amazing!! Has anyone tasted it?
made a double batch of this for a party last night. couldnt find pistachio oil at my local grocery, so i substituted walnut oil instead. can't wait to try it with pistachio oil. this was SO GOOD. friends even dipped in it with chips towards the end. probably because i threw in one extra avocado.
and this is how stupid i am about the anise = fennel thing. i had to call my mother and ask, "so it looks like fennel, but it says anise....buy it?".
Yes, it's fine to make this the day before, just make sure you let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. The oils will coagulate when cold.
This sounds great. Think it would sit well overnight? The lemon juice should keep the avocado from browning - right?