Fennel, Pickled Onion & Apple Salad
This flavorful and refreshing Fennel, Pickled Onion and Apple salad is quick and easy to prepare and so delicious. With fresh fennel, homemade pickled red onion, and apple, this fennel salad recipe is crunchy, sweet, and sour in every bite.
This is a spin on a salad I had at a dinner party once and absolutely fell in love with. It’s the perfect combination of crunchy, sour, sweet, and refreshing flavors in every bite. Truth be told I am a sucker for anything pickled, especially onions. I’ve tried making many different variations of pickled onions before, but this recipe is by far the easiest. Besides the vibrant pickled onions, this dish has many other great flavors. The base of the salad is fennel, which adds a delicious crunch and mild licorice flavor to the dish. Fennel is a unique vegetable because unlike the fresh leaves grown from the top of the plant, which have a strong anise flavor, the bulb tastes much more subtle when sliced very thinly. Slices of apple add a delicious sweetness to each bite and help to balance out the bold flavor of the pickled onions.
Why You Will Love This Fresh Apple and Fennel Salad With Pickled Onions
- This bright and fresh salad is quick and easy and ready in less than 30 minutes.
- It is super versatile and the bright flavors can be adjusted to your tastes. This salad has a really nice texture thanks to the crunchy fennel and sweet apple which are the perfect base and really pack this salad with fresh flavors.
- This tangy salad will last for a couple of days and is great for meal prep.
- Requires simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.
- This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet legal and can easily be made vegan
Ingredients You Will Need For This Pickled Onions, Apple Fennel Salad Recipe
- Red onion: Red onions make the most delicious pickled onions, in my opinion. They add a beautiful color and have a milder flavor than white or yellow onions.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar gives a great flavor to the pickled onions and a bit of sweetness, too. You could also use white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Honey: Honey is my preferred sweetness for the pickled onions. Add more if you want them to be a bit sweeter. You could also use maple syrup.
- Fennel bulbs: The star of the show, the fresh fennel adds a fresh crunch to the salad along with a great anise flavor. Trim the fennel stalks from the fennel bulb with a sharp knife, removing the tough outer layers and slicing it thinly. Save the fennel fronds as a garnish if you want!
- Apple: You can’t go wrong with the apple you choose. It all depends on the sweetness of the apples that you would prefer. I love sweet apples like a gala apple or pink lady, but green apples, like granny smith apples, have a delicious tartness.
- Almonds: Toasted halved almonds give a nice crunch to this salad. You could use walnut pieces, pecans, or pine nuts, if you prefer.
- Fresh parsley: I love fresh parsley, finely chopped, for this salad. It gives a delicious herby flavor and bright green color pop.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I love a good olive oil, and olive oil is my favorite neutral oil to use for the dressing. You could also use avocado oil.
- Lemon: Don’t forget the zestiness that comes from a little lemon juice. A fresh lemon is bright and tart and shouldn’t be skipped!
You can find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card below
How To Make This Apple And Fennel Salad with Pickled Onions
- First step, make the pickled onions. They should be made at least 1 hour before serving the salad. Start by cutting the red onion into thin slices. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt until well-mixed. Then, add the sliced onion, ensuring it is all fully submerged in the liquid. Allow to sit for at least 1 hour until softened. Taste the onions approximately halfway through pickling and add more honey if you prefer them to be sweeter.
- Next, using a mandoline slicer or a chef’s knife, finely slice the white bulb into very thin slices on a cutting board. If using a mandoline I recommend using the thinnest setting when slicing the large fennel bulb. Wash the apple, cut it in quarters, and remove the core. Then, also cut the apple into thin slices. Combine the thinly sliced fennel, sliced apple, almonds, and pickled onions in a large bowl.
- Finally, whisk together the ingredients for the salad dressing (fresh lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, honey and kosher salt). Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle with fresh parsley or feathery fronds before serving.
Ways To Modify This Apple and Fennel Salad Recipe
This is the perfect salad to modify the salad ingredients to satisfy your taste buds. Adjust the honey to the sweetness level you prefer when making the pickled onions (or swap it for maple syrup or coconut sugar). For added crunch and sweetness and wonderful flavors, add celery, pomegranate seeds, or dried cranberries. You can also add more fresh herbs, like fresh mint. Also, change the nuts if you don’t have sliced almonds on hand or if you have a different preference. Sprinkle with goat cheese or feta as a welcome addition, if you can do dairy. For a more bold lemony flavor you can add lemon zest to give the lemon vinaigrette a punchy taste.
How To Serve This Apple And Fennel Salad
This is a great salad to serve as a side dish but has enough bold taste to stand alone on its own as an appetizer or for a light lunch. This would be the perfect side dish to serve with a pork tenderloin or roasted chicken, like this drumstick recipe, or served to compliment a steak. It is a great side dish to take to a gathering, too, to share with all your family and friends.
Can I Make This Apple and Fennel Salad In Advance?
This is a great recipe to make in advance, and it will keep in the fridge for 2 days when made in full. However, you can meal-prep it a bit. Make the pickled onions up to a couple of days in advance, slice your fennel and store in an airtight container, and make the dressing and store in a mason jar. I wouldn’t recommend slicing the apple ahead of time, though, or it will brown. You can prepare this delicious salad with the fennel, almonds, pickled onions and lemon dressing a few hours in advance and simply add in the apple slices right before serving.
What About Leftovers?
This simple salad keeps incredibly well for next time, and leftovers for this easy salad can be enjoyed for up to 2 days even when dressed. Be sure to store it in an airtight container for ultimate freshness.
Here are a few other fennel salad recipes & side dishes that you will love:
- Green Bean & Roasted Fennel Salad
- Caramelized Leek, Fennel & Onion Gratin
- Crispy Lemon & Herb Chicken with Fennel
- Citrus, Fennel, Avocado & Shrimp Salad
If you make this fennel salad recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Apple & Fennel Salad with Pickled Onions and Almonds
Ingredients
Pickled Onions
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Salad
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 1 apple honey crisp or gala
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds halved
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- The pickled onions should be made at least 1 hour before serving the salad. Start by cutting the red onion into thin slices.
- In a bowl whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey and salt until well mixed. Then add in the sliced onion making sure that it is all fully submerged in the liquid. Allow to sit for minimum 1 hour until softened. Taste the onions approximately half way through pickling and add more honey if you prefer them to be sweeter.
- Using a mandolin or a sharp knife finely slice the fennel bulbs into very thin slices. Wash the apple, cut in quarters and remove the core. Then also cut the apple into thin slices.
- In a salad bowl combine the sliced fennels and apples, halved almonds and the pickled onions.
- In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on May 24, 2017 and updated with new copy and photos on October 29, 2024.
What a fantastic salad! I’ve made it twice in the past week its so good. Great combinatino of textures and flavor. It’s going on our thanksgiving menu!
This is a refreshing salad.! Perfect blend of sweet and sour! I will make this again!
Delicious! Perfect combination of sweet and sour!
I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2019 for people who are trying to make more meat-free meals (everyone has to start somewhere). I would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
Excellent salad for a winter meal – we had it with a lamb/turkey pie and potatoes au gratin. We used dill instead of parsley and omitted nuts for allergy reasons – crunchy and tasty!
That sounds like a delicious meal with pie and potato au gratin! I am so happy that you enjoyed the salad!
hi..I made this amazing salad this past weekend. My husband has already asked me a few times, when will I be making it again..So it was a GREAT HIT !!! Thanks..and I saw your cookbook will be coming out
next year..Can’t wait..
I’m so happy the salad was a success!