Sweet, crisp pear meets tangy pickled fennel in this fresh and vibrant salad. Tossed with tender lentils, toasted walnuts, herbs and creamy cheese, it has a lovely balance of textures and flavours, while the reserved pickling liquid doubles as a simple dressing. It’s an easy spring side dish or light lunch that feels fresh without being overly complicated.
Pickled fennel Trim ends from fennel; reserve 2 tablespoons of the fronds. Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthways. Using a mandoline, V-slicer or sharp knife, cut fennel into very thin slices. Place in a colander with 2 teaspoons of the sea salt; stand for 10 minutes. Rinse off the salt, then squeeze out excess water. Transfer to a large bowl. Combine remaining salt, vinegar and sugar in a jug, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour over fennel; toss gently. Cover and refrigerate until required. Pear and pickled fennel salad Place lentils and 3 cups of water in a medium pot; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, partially covered by a lid, for 12 minutes or until lentils are tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil; season and cool. Stir in parsley. Preheat a frying pan over high heat. Toss pear with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl; season with freshly ground black pepper. Cook pear slices for 3 minutes each side or until browned. Drain pickled fennel; reserve pickling liquid. To serve, layer pear, lentils and pickled fennel on a platter. Sprinkle with walnuts, cheese, mint, chilli flakes and reserved fennel fronds. Drizzle with pickling liquid and remaining oil. Season to taste.Pear and pickled fennel salad
Ingredients
Instructions
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Also See: Roasted fennel quiche
Feature image: Aremedia
A food stylist and recipe developer, contributing to Food & Home and other esteemed magazines under Habari Media. I love for creating mouthwatering recipes, I bring culinary visions to life through my work.
