winter white salad with mandarin and fennel
Prep time
Total time
Recipe type: salad, appetizers & starters
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- FOR THE SALAD
- 3 cups angel hair coleslaw (from finely shredded light green cabbage)
- 1 fennel bulb, ends snipped (you can reserve for soup) and bulb chopped into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup arils (pomegranate seed)
- 4 juicy seasonal mandarin, peeled and divided into segments
- handful of fresh delicate greens of choice
- FOR THE CITRUS-GINGER DRESSING
- 2 Tbsp fresh mandarin juice
- 2 Tbsp white rice vinegar (substitute cider vinegar)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame seed oil
- 1 heaping tsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 nub fresh ginger, grated (about 2 tsp or to taste)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- pinch of sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place angel hair coleslaw (or finely shredded light green cabbage) into a large mixing bowl.
- Add chopped fennel pieces to the same bowl.
- In a small container with fitted lid, combine citrus-ginger dressing ingredients: mandarin juice, vinegar, oils, mustard, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Close the lid and shake the contents. Be sure to taste the dressing and make any taste adjustments desired.
- With your mandarin segments and pom seeds ready, whisk or shake the dressing a final time before drizzling most of it over the coleslaw/fennel, reserving some for topping.
- Mix the coleslaw/fennel and dressing together to integrate flavors.
- Divide salad mixture among four bowls or plates and top with pom seeds, mandarin segments and greens of choice.
- Add a final drizzle of dressing to the top of each salad as desired.
Notes
1) You don't have to shred cabbage for this recipe (unless you wish to), you can simply purchase angel coleslaw;
2) Pomegranate seeds are now also widely available for purchase but I find they do not last very long before spoiling and I have never been disappointed with the freshness, color or taste of seeds drawn directly from the fruit. Despite the minor mess potential from extracting the seeds, I find it well worth the small inconvenience.
3) Keep in mind that the citrus-ginger dressing is slightly less sour/acidic than a traditional vinaigrette and slightly sweeter. I find it a refreshing change and one that works well in this salad but if you prefer savory/sour, just go lighter on the fruit juice and allow the vinegar to take over.
4) For the greens, you can work with fresh chopped herbs or salad greens of choice - we found peppery arugula (rocket) to be a particularly welcome addition here.
2) Pomegranate seeds are now also widely available for purchase but I find they do not last very long before spoiling and I have never been disappointed with the freshness, color or taste of seeds drawn directly from the fruit. Despite the minor mess potential from extracting the seeds, I find it well worth the small inconvenience.
3) Keep in mind that the citrus-ginger dressing is slightly less sour/acidic than a traditional vinaigrette and slightly sweeter. I find it a refreshing change and one that works well in this salad but if you prefer savory/sour, just go lighter on the fruit juice and allow the vinegar to take over.
4) For the greens, you can work with fresh chopped herbs or salad greens of choice - we found peppery arugula (rocket) to be a particularly welcome addition here.
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2014/12/winter-white-salad-with-mandarin-and-fennel.html