Have you cooked with fennel recently? This Pear, Arugula and Fennel recipe is one of the best tasting salads I’ve ever had! The magic ingredients were the pears and the dressing. Wow you guys, this was delicious.

What Made This Pear, Arugula and Fennel Recipe So Good?

• It tasted fresh and light
• No one flavor was too strong
• It was simple, yet tasted complex enough to taste “special”
• It was “meaty” due to the pear and could be a meal with a little protein sprinkled on top
• It didn’t taste like rabbit food with dressing

This fennel recipe is from the Grace-Marie from the Cooking School of Bristol Farms I attended this week with my friends. Attending class is a great way for me to learn about cooking while at the same time being able to hang out. We watch her cook and explain the process as we follow along on her recipe sheets with a glass of wine in hand.  Then, we eat each course as it’s ready!

Shouldn’t this be how all cooking classes work? Except she doesn’t let us talk while she is teaching which is hard for us. Sometimes we do it anyway and the other ladies in the class get annoyed. Anyway, back to the salad.

Salad Ingredients

1 12oz bag Baby Arugula (plain or with mixed wild greens)

4 large Pears any variety, slightly ripe – peel, slice out the core then cut lengthwise very thin

2 large bulbs Fennel (Anise) – trim stalks off, slice in half then slice crosswise wafer thin by cutting or use a mandolin

1 bunch Green Onions – thinly slice on an angle (top to bottom)

To Season: Kosher or Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper

Directions for Salad

As the ingredients are prepared, combine into the salad bowl – the pears, fennel and onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss. Then scatter the arugula over the top.

Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve – up to an hour

Vinaigrette Ingredients

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Chives slice or snip into very small pieces

2 Tbs Honey

To season- Kosher or Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper

Directions for Vinaigrette

Combine into a clean Mason Jar the oil, chives and honey. Shake well, taste then season with salt and pepper as necessary. Pour the vinaigrette into a salad bowl.

I knew it was important to use good olive oil, but I learned we should also not skimp on the quality of vinegar we use for salad dressing.

As for honey, Grace-Marie feels any brand was fine, although there are high end honeys out there that would probably add depth to the dressing.

Serve

Just before serving… drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss.

Serve family-style from the bowl or mound onto a platter…or in the same manner onto individual plates.

My mouth is watering as I write this post, thinking about how good this was in class! I will definitely be making this salad soon. Will you try this pear, arugula and fennel recipe too?  Let me know how it turns out, once you do!

Next up…the main course – Roasted Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta. You’ll love that one too. And if you didn’t see my other posts on Grace-Marie’s recipes, visit my page on Summer Corn Chowder and Summer Garden Zucchini Ribbon Salad. Enjoy, guys!

Yield: 8 servings

Salad-Pear, Arugula and Fennel Recipe

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A fresh and delicious pear, arugula, and fennel salad.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Salad

• 4 large Pears any variety, slightly ripe - peel, slice out the core then cut lengthwise very thin
• 2 large bulbs Fennel (Anise) - trim stalks off, slice in half then slice crosswise wafer thin by cutting or use a mandolin
• 1 bunch Green Onions - thinly slice on an angle (top to bottom)
• 1 12oz bag Baby Arugula (plain or with mixed wild greens)
• To Season: Kosher or Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper

Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Chives slice or snip into very small pieces
• 2 Tbs Honey
• To season- Kosher or Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. As the ingredients are prepared, combine into the salad bowl - the pears, fennel and onions. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss. Then scatter the arugula over the top.
3. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve - up to an hour

Vinaigrette:

1. Combine into a clean Mason Jar the oil, chives and honey. Shake well, taste then season with salt and pepper as necessary. Pour the vinaigrette into a salad bowl.
2. Just before serving... drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 5gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g

Flavor Your Life with an Ounce of Salt. A lifestyle blog by Jen Oliak.