The pickled fennel is bursting with citrus and ginger flavors, waking up a sleepy palate. You can use it in a number of dishes, both cooked and raw, or just on the side of a warming stew to cut through the richness. There is a great balance here between the briny fennel, crisp cabbage, creamy avocado, and tangy grapefruit, spiced up with the warmth of pink peppercorns. This salad is incredibly helpful for the digestion because it is totally raw and loaded with enzymes. Although it is a wonderful start to a meal, I like to enjoy this cleansing salad at the end.
Ingredients
Pickled Fennel
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 1 cup / 225 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or raw honey
- ½ tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1 small organic orange
- 5 whole star anise
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Salad
- ¼ head purple cabbage
- 2 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
- A couple pinches of flaky sea salt
- 2 large grapefruits
- 1 large ripe avocado
- Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
- teaspoons crushed pink peppercorns
How to Make It
-
Pickle the Fennel
- Using a mandoline slicer, slice the fennel into very thin strips.
- In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, and fine sea salt with 1 cup / 225 ml water. Stir well.
- Slice the orange (unpeeled) into thin rounds. Put a couple slices at the bottom of a quart/liter jar and add a handful of fennel, 1 star anise, and a little of the ginger. Continue to stack the oranges, fennel, star anise, and ginger until you’ve used up all the ingredients or have reached the top of the jar. Pour the brine into the jar, completely covering the contents; discard any excess brine. Put an airtight lid on the jar, and store it in the fridge for 24 hours. After that, the pickled fennel can be enjoyed for up to 3 weeks. Make the Salad
- Using a mandoline slicer, shred the cabbage very thin and put it in a bowl. Add a tablespoon or so of the pickled fennel juice, plus a tablespoon of olive oil and some flaky sea salt. Toss to combine.
- Slice the rind off the grapefruits and cut the fruit into wedges. Pit the avocado and slice it into sections.
- Divide the cabbage, grapefruit, avocado, and pickled fennel among four plates. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with parsley and crushed pink peppercorns. Enjoy.
