It feels like we’re in the middle of things. Like we have to begrudgingly set down our watermelon and water balloons and pick up our infinity scarf and pumpkin spice latte. Seasons don’t happen in a snap. There’s a transition period… a kind of grace that allows us to take a deep breath, absorb our days of sunshine and beach breezes to ready ourselves for the crisp nights and spiced cider. What we crave in the transition can be tricky. I find myself gobbling all of the peaches and dreaming of apple fritters. Truth be told, I’m always dreaming of apple fritters, that’s no surprise.
This salad feels like a lovely transition. Fresh apple and fennel make it easy to move into Autumn. It’s no time to crank up the oven for a roast when I find myself still craving fresh and bright flavors.
We’re also adding fresh arugula for its peppery notes, salty roasted pistachios, sweet dried apricots, and salty parmesan cheese. It’s all about balance!
This recipe is inspired by Chef Nathan Lyon. His seasonal cookbook is a staple in my kitchen.
Here’s the thing about salad. It’s often about lettuce and tomato going into a bowl, being choked down before we eat a giant pizza.
This is not that salad. This salad is much more delicate and pretty… but we’re still going to need a bowl.
Into a bowl: chopped arugula, thinly sliced fennel, thinly sliced apple, small diced red onions.
We don’t make a formal dressing for this salad. We just drizzle lemon, vinegar, and olive oil.
Tossed with salt and pepper, apricots and pistachios.
This salad has a really lovely balance of sweet, salt, and spice.
It’s also very versatile! Substitute currants or dried cranberries for the apricots. Add spinach and parsley instead of arugula. Try a balsamic vinaigrette instead of lemon. This salad can be exactly what you want it to be.
What’s also great about this salad is that most of it can be assembled long before it’s served. Everything but the greens can be tossed together and left in the refrigerator for a day and tossed with the arugula (or your preferred green) just before serving. Easy breezy as we transition into Autumn.
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Apple + Fennel + Pistachio + Apricot
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 large Fuji or Golden Delicious apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 2 large handfuls arugula, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onions
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely diced dried apricots
- 1/2 cup shelled and coarsely chopped pistachios
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl toss together the thinly sliced apples, fennel, arugula, and red onions. Drissle with lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Add the dried apricot pieces, pistachios and cheese. Toss to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper and toss just before serving. Serve soon after assembling.
Heidi - Apples Under My Bed
I thought you were going to say “but we’re still going to need a pizza”… Beautifully written post, Joy. Your words make me feel your seasonal transition even though I’m over the other side of the world in Australia, greeting strawberries and artichokes x
Eileen
Such a beautiful salad! I wish I’d thought of this when we were getting 2 heads of fennel a week from our CSA. (Of course, that could also suddenly happen again this week, so hey!)
Sharana @ Living The Sweet Life Blog
That’s one good looking salad!!
Miranda | Miranda's Notebook
This salad looks perfect for the transitional period, as you say. It feels too hot still for anything too warming (although I’m with you on the apple fritters – I’ve been making apple crisp pretty much every weekend) so this would be just right, but filled with the flavours of the season. Thanks for sharing!
sundiegoeats
Perfect transition to fall! Thank you for easing us into it, I don’t appreciate being unceremoniously drowned in a wave of pumpkin spice just yet :)
joythebaker
i very much object! it’s just rude, really.
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
I just love the crispness of apples and fennel. This is a perfect transition salad!
Sheila S
This sounds great. I’m getting fennel in my CSA box today and it’s over 100 degrees so a salad is perfect!
Pedantic Foodie
This looks like the perfect mid-day meal for this time of year.
shelly
this is the sort of salad you take to a dinner party. interesting and pretty!
Nathalie C. | Devoted Foodie
This is my kind of salad! Love the flavors :)
Arthur in the Garden!
Yummy!
Sarah R.
Those first two sentences capture this transition so perfectly Joy! No lingering summer this year, just BAM! Lovely salad- maybe it will ease my mourning for summer.
Tess
This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing as usual <3
Belinda Lo (Moonblush Baker)
I love crisp apple in salads! Nothing like that sweet crunch. I noticed that you used apricots; have you tired un sulfured ones yet?
Just asking since your apricot pie was hella delicious Joy!
joythebaker
i have tried unsulphered apricots! delicious despite their brown shade. i love them but they just weren’t available at the grocery last time i went.
wearenotmartha
I love that this is the perfect combination of refreshing and fall-like!
Sues