Fennel Salad with Pears and Walnuts

This Fennel Salad with Pear and Walnuts says autumn in all the right ways. Sweet in-season pears sit atop crunchy fennel, celery, and walnuts. And a lemony parmesan dressing pulls it all together.

It’s a great transitional salad as we move from late summer into faux fall.

Faux Fall

Have you found yourself lately wandering the aisles of the local Target, Home Goods, or Hobby Lobby and eyeing all the pretty autumn decorations, brushing your hand across the cozy sofa throws, and sniffing the pumpkin spice candles? I have.

It’s faux fall, y’all!

In other parts of our country and the Northern Hemisphere, temperatures are cooling off, leaves are changing colors from green to red and gold, and the sun goes down earlier and earlier in the evening. The thought of cool, crisp weather and warm apple cider is so appealing.

But then I am jolted back to the reality of 95-degree Southern California sunshine when I step outside those home décor stores and into my oven-hot car. There is no way I am decorating with warm fleece anything on my couch just yet.

Even though our weather may not be cooperating to fulfill those autumnal longings, at least we aren’t dealing with a category 5 hurricane like others are in the South and Southeast, right? We can be thankful for that. And for the random rain showers.

As for those fall decorations, I’m gradually swapping out summer flowers for orange-y ones, and keeping an eye out for some vintage velvet pillows in olive green, all while I dream of cooler days to come. I’m embracing faux fall until the real thing arrives.

In the meantime, salads are still on frequent rotation with the addition of some fall veggies like fennel.

Fennel

Fresh fennel is available in grocery stores year-round but is best when in season: fall, winter, and early spring. One doesn’t come across many recipes calling for raw fennel in this country and that’s a shame. Fennel is versatile and delicious.

But! This recipe features fennel, along with some other cool-weather veggies and in-season pears.

When purchased fresh, fennel is a triple delight providing good things to eat in three ways. The bulb, stalk, and fronds are each unique ingredients in themselves. When raw, fennel is crisp and crunchy while when cooked it mellows into melty goodness.

The bulb, also called the crown, is comprised of creamy white onion-like layers that have an anise-like flavor. Green stalks are hollow and similar to celery in their color and crunch. And those wispy delicate fronds? Treat them like you would fresh herbs.

Lessons Learned

• Slice the fennel bulb as thinly as you can. If you have good knife skillz, great. I like to use a mandoline slicer for even, paper-thin slices.
• Is toasting the walnuts too much trouble? Not really. If you have a toaster oven, it is incredibly easy. But even if you must fire up the oven, it’s still easy. And toasted nuts are 100 times tastier than untoasted ones.
• Want to cook fennel? Citrus salmon with fennel is delicious!

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Sunset magazine for its red pear salad with lemon parmesan dressing and to The Modern Proper for the celery pear and hazelnut salad recipe inspiration.

Print