Fennel salad with sardines, capers and mint
Posted by kathryn in Fish, Vegetables, Salads, Winter and Recipes
I’ve been surrounded by fennel recently. I’ve been buying fennel, cooking with it and eating it. But also clients and friends have been asking me for tips on using the stuff. I’ve included fennel recipes in recent cooking classes. It’s appeared in my weekly vegetable box. And I keep on spotting amazing fennel recipes.
While I love cooked fennel, one of my favourite uses is in a simple salad. This dish is easy and yet packs a superb flavour punch.
Plus eat a portion of this and you’ll be getting about three of your daily vegetable serves.
The sardines are optional, as many people don’t like this strongly flavoured fish. However, they are fantastic for you. Sardines have one of the highest levels of Omega 3s. Plus they tend to be a more sustainably managed fishy. In this salad, the combination of capers, lime and mint counter-acts and balances the fish flavour.
Fennel salad with sardines, capers and mint
Serves 2
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
½ red onion, finely sliced
½ bunch fresh mint
2 teaspoons capers
1 × 400g tin of white beans, drained
2 teaspoons olive oil
Juice of ½ lime
200g tinned sardines*, drained and cut into thick chunks (optional)
Place the fennel, onion, mint, capers and white beans into a bowl. Pour in the olive oil and lime and mix together. Add the sardines and gently toss to combine.
Serve immediately on a slice of wholegrain toast.
*Tinned sardines are easy to use. They’ve already had the head and tail removed, so just prize the two halves of the fish apart using a knife and fork and then take out the most obvious bits of bone. Don’t worry about removing the smaller bones, they just add an extra bit of calcium to the meal.
14 July, 2010
Comments
I’m so glad you featured fennel. You’ve really informed and inspired me with this post.
I’m wondering why I’ve been neglecting fennel for so long. Stuck in a vegetable rut, I suppose.
The recipe sounds delicious and has inspired me to sow some fennel seeds in the garden at the next opportunity.
Lovely photos — the finished salad on toast looks very appetizing. I’d love to nosh on it for my lunch in half an hour.
I love fennel, it has a nice elegant taste I think and your salad just adds to it, I like the sound of it very much!
This does look nice, although I still need to be convinced by fennel. I so want to like it, but so far am only so so about it.
I liked the look of this when I saw the picture on Flickr but I like it even more now I know the ingredients! Such a good balance.
My favourite fennel recipes all involve cooking it – looking forward to branching out and try a recipe that uses it uncooked
I’m pretty new to fennel Elaine, in fact I largely credit Ms Lucy for my current love of this vegetable. I knew what it was, but was always hesitant about the aniseed flavour. However Lucy’s enthusiasm and tips about using encouraged me to start trying fennel and now I love it. I’d really encourage you to start trying it out.
Ilva, thank you so much. I made your roasted potato and fennel salad earlier in the week and it was gorgeous. The roasted fennel is lush. I’ve bookmarked a few more of your fennel recipes to try out.
Hello Helen. Fennel isn’t for everyone, but I’d encourage you to give it a go. I love it in all guises, but there’s a massive difference between the flavour (and texture) of the raw and cooked.
Sophie, I’m only just getting used to cooking with fennel. Up until now 90% of my use has been raw, in salads. It’s also really good in coleslaw-style mixes. Last week I sauteed some in a pan, with oregano, paprika, leek and some white beans. I then added a squeeze of mandarin juice at the end. Absolutely delicious.
Likewise, I cite you for a burgeoning addiction to beetroot…
Good to share, no?
Delish. Absolutely!
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