Arugula-Shaved-Fennel Salad

Arugula-Shaved-Fennel Salad is served with thin-sliced red onion, blue cheese crumbles, and balsamic vinaigrette. It's wonderful as an accompaniment for roasted meat and steaks—or on its own for a light lunch.

It's January, so I'm on a light-and-healthy kick. We've been eating a lot of salads in the Frank household. Our holiday-season gluttony has flamed out and we're back on the healthy-eating wagon.

I don't make New Year's Resolutions as a rule—but I do make a conscious effort to eat lighter and exercise more at this time of year. Bikini weather is only 5 months away, after all!  A big part of this is to eat more veggies with my meals.

But sometimes I tire of the same-old-salad. This arugula-shaved-fennel salad is a wonderful departure: it pairs peppery, earthy notes from the arugula with the spicy crunch of red onion and the bright, licorice-y flavor of fennel. Blue cheese and balsamic dressing bring umami and tang to the party.

The flavor profile of arugula-shaved-fennel salad is delicious served alongside steak, but it's also my favorite side dish for Herb-Crusted Roast Pork Tenderloin: the shaved fennel in the salad echoes the roasted fennel in the root vegetables—delicious!

I like to serve the blue cheese and balsamic dressing on the side: not everyone likes blue cheese, and I'm always hoping that there will be leftovers, which means that dressing the entire salad is out because the leftovers will be wilty. My favorite use for leftover arugula-shaved-fennel salad is to wrap it in a tortilla for a fantastic, light lunch-on-the-go.

That's it! I wish you the best of luck in sticking to healthier eating habits this year. Enjoy!

—xoxo Michelle

Linkies

I'm linking this Arugula-Shaved-Fennel Salad recipe up with:

• #CookBlogShare, a great food blogger recipe-share at Hijacked by Twins.
• #RecipeOfTheWeek hosted by A Mummy Too.
• #BrillBlogPosts, a link party with a variety of lifestyle reads hosted by Honest Mum.

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Arugula-Shaved Fennel Salad

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Arugula-Shaved-Fennel Salad is served with thin-sliced red onion, blue cheese crumbles, and balsamic vinaigrette. It's wonderful as an accompaniment for roasted meat and steaks—or on its own for a light lunch.

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Ingredients

FOR THE DRESSING (see Recipe Note #1)

• ¾ cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD

• 5 cups (packed) baby arugula, washed and dried
• 1 small fennel bulb, fronds removed, trimmed
• ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced into ¼ rings
• ½ cup blue cheese crumbles

Instructions

FOR THE DRESSING

1. Add all ingredients to a screw-top jar. Lid and shake well. 

FOR THE SALAD

1. Toss the arugula, fennel, and red onion together in a salad bowl. Serve with balsamic dressing and blue cheese crumbles on the side. Add only enough dressing to lightly coat each serving of salad (I drizzle on just about a tablespoon for mine). 

Notes

1. This recipe makes extra dressing. Reserve remaining dressing in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
2. Refrigerate leftover salad in an airtight plastic container and eat within 3–4 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 bowl, about 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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