Fennel and Arugula Salad
I love salads - yes, it’s so cliché, but it’s true. I am plant-based and I love eating refreshing and satisfying salad. I’m even a sucker for a simple house greens. But if I’m making the salad, especially for people who ‘don’t eat salad’, you’d better believe it’s going to be a show stopper. The key lies in incorporating a variety of textures and flavours to keep it interesting.
This recipe serves 4 as a side salad or 2 as a larger salad. The recipe offers a total of 540 calories. If you are planning to make a meal of this salad, I recommend splitting it into two meals and adding either 85 grams of smoked tofu (140 calories, 14 grams protein) or 1/2 a cup of white beans (147 calories, 8.5 grams protein) to increase the protein content.
Do not add more oil or nuts as this would increase the calories without adding any or much in the way of protein. a balanced meal should have at least 10% of calories from protein where as this salad with no beans or tofu only offers 6% of calories from protein for a total of 11 grams of protein for 540 calories.
I prefer this salad as a side with my favourite Pea Soup Recipe which contains 11 grams of protein and 195 calories for a medium sized serving.
INGREDIENTS
5 ounces arugula (I use the clamshell, pre-washed packages) or about 5 packed cups washed and dried
1 medium fennel bulb, shaved on a mandolin or you can use a peeler(just be careful)
1/4 cup walnut halves (I crush them in my hands)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest (normally I just zest the entire lemon)
Juice of one lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Depending on what I have growing or in the fridge, I add a fresh herb: fresh parsley, chives, tarragon, dill, thyme or tarragon
My favourite variations are with parsley and with tarragon.
Instructions
Combine the arugula, shaved fennel and walnuts in to a serving bowl.
In a small jam jar of other container(make sure you have a lid), combine the olive oil, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and a few grinds of pepper You can start mixing with a fork but I prefer to shake it up until it’s smooth.
Taste the dressing with either a fork of an arugula leaf; adjust any of the dressing ingredients to taste. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
If you want a more dressed salad, add more dressing a little bit at a time. If you end up over dressing it, you can always add more greens.
Dress the salad with a fresh herb if desired.
Suggested pairing: Pea Soup, Greek Lentil Soup, Seasonal Roasted Root Vegetables, Creamy Penne, Butternut Squash Soup and ready made meals like Tofurkey Roast..
Enjoy!
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