I love fennel but I think that this winter vegetable is rather underappreciated by raw foodies. I could eat it every day.
Fennel is quite versatile. I pairs well with fruits, especially citrus fruit, pears and apples. It is rich in vitamin C, some B vitamins, vitamin K, minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and dietary fiber.
In this salad I used home made raw candied orange peel. If you have access to untreated, organic oranges, make your own. The process is very easy but it takes two to four days. I made a small batch that I will also use later to flavor my raw cheesecake.
Three organic oranges gave me a whole cup of orange peel.
Wash the oranges. Using a vegetable peeler peel the oranges. Cut off as much white pith as possible.
In a bowl, mix the orange peel with organic raw cane sugar and mix well. I used 1 cup of sugar for one cup of orange peel. Transfer the sugared peel to a jar. Close the jar and place it on the kitchen counter away form direct sunlight. Shake the jar a few times a day to distribute the sugar evenly. After a day or two you will notice that syrup is gathering at the bottom of the jar. You may want to keep the jar on the counter for another day or proceed to step two.
Draining the syrup, remove half of the peel form the jar, and using a sharp knife cut the each peel into very thin strips. Spread the thin slices and the remaining peel on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115°F for 4 to 5 hours. The peel should be slightly dry but still very soft. You may want to save the incredibly aromatic syrup. You can use it in your smoothies and deserts. The only bad thing about it is that it is sugar.
~ Chopped Fennel Salad With Candied Orange Peel Dressing ~
Ingredients:
for the salad
- 1 medium large fennel bulb per person
- 1 Tbsp minced candied orange peel
- organic baby greens
for the dressing
- 2 Tbsp roughly chopped candied orange peel
- 4 Tbsp freshly pressed orange juice
- 2 tsp freshly pressed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
- Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the garnish
- candied orange peel strips
Method:
- Wash and clean the fennel bulbs. Slice each bulb and chop each slice into small cubes. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Chop the fronds and mix with the chopped fennel bulbs. Add the chopped candied orange peel, mix well and set aside.
- In a blender blast all the dressing ingredients unto a smooth dressing. Adjust the taste.
- Pour the dressing over the chopped fennel and mix well. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for ten minutes or so.
- Arrange baby greens on platters. Place chopped, seasoned fennel in the middle of each platter and garnish with candied orange peel. Serve right away and enjoy it in good company!
Recipe serves two. For a bigger party, multiply the amounts accordingly.
Tip: If you do not have the candied orange peel, you could use zest from organic oranges and add some orange blossom honey to the dressing.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2024
Note:
Caution is advised. Fennel contains natural estrogen. People with estrogen dependent cancers, people diagnosed with estrogen dominance and pregnant women should avoid fennel.
*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure a disease.