Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad
Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad with kalamata olives and feta cheese, is a fresh side dish. Drizzle with an orange vinaigrette. Simple, bright, and flavorful!
Friends, it’s time to brighten our cooking for spring and summer, with refreshing ingredients like asparagus!
Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad
This Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad is delightful and so yummy served as a side dish with a drizzle of orange vinaigrette. It’s delicious served with anything grilled. You may want to try my Grilled Corn Bratwurst Dinner Board or Best Grilled Chicken Thighs recipes.
If only all dishes that taste this complex were this simple to put together, I think you’re really going to love this Asparagus and Fennel Salad!
More asparagus salads:
When vegetables are as tender as in-season asparagus, we also love fresh salads such my Pesto Asparagus Caprese Salad Recipe (watch the video) or Shaved Asparagus Cucumber Sesame Salad. I also loved this Shaved Parmesan Asparagus Salad with soft boiled eggs!
Ingredients for shaved asparagus & fennel salad:
- Asparagus
- Fennel
- Salt
- Kalamata olives
- Feta cheese
Salads are all about the dressing. Drizzle this light deliciousness over the salad and serve!
Ingredients for orange vinaigrette:
- Orange juice
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Shallots
- Honey
- Salt and pepper
Poaching (or blanching) is the key to the perfect bite! A few minutes in boiling water brings out each vegetable’s flavor, while retaining its color and crisp-tender texture!
How to blanch vegetables
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a generous sprinkle of salt (about a heaping 1/4 cup).
- When the water comes to a boil, add the asparagus and boil for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the stalk (thinner= less time, thicker= more time).
- Prepare a bath of ice water.
- When asparagus is bright green and tender–but still crisp–drain and transfer to the iceboat to stop the cooking.
- When the stalks have cooled, drain and set out on a towel to dry.
We are slowly getting back into life again with a few friends at a time, which makes a very small gathering.
I dare say none of us will ever take a family or small group of friends or neighbor gathering for granted again, will we?
I’d really love to hear how you plant to slowly start entertaining again, and what it will look like for you?
Get the Recipe:
Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
- 2 bundles asparagus, trimmed and blanched
- 1 bulb fennel, shaven with mandolin
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 c kalamata olives, halved
- 1/4 c feta, crumbled
Dressing
- 1/2 c orange juice
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
- To blanch your asparagus, bring a large pot of water to a boil with a generous sprinkle of salt—a heaping 1/4 cup. When the water comes to a boil, add the asparagus and boil for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the stalk (thinner= less time, thicker= more time). Prepare a bath of ice water.
- When asparagus is bright green and tender—but still crisp--drain and transfer to the iceboat to stop the cooking. When the stalks have cooled, drain and set out on a towel to dry.
- To assemble, toss the asparagus and fennel together and plate on a serving platter. Sprinkle with feta, olives, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle with the dressing and a squeeze of fresh orange juice.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
