Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Sherry Vinaigrette
Simple arugula salad with shaved fennel, toasted hazelnuts, parmesan, and a garlic sherry vinaigrette.
Today’s shaved fennel arugula salad was inspired by my oldest sister!
Back in September, Connor and I traveled to California to attend a friend’s wedding and took the opportunity to visit my sister, Alessandra, in Oakland for a few days.
She served this arugula salad one night with dinner. It is one of her favorite salad preparations and a regular staple in their kitchen.
Baby arugula and shaved fennel tossed with a garlic sherry vinaigrette, toasted chopped hazelnuts, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
A simple twist on a classic arugula salad that works every day of the week, but is just different and special enough to serve for holiday meals or special occasions.
I knew that I had to recreate it and share the recipe with you!
If you’re looking for an easy light salad to serve alongside your Thanksgiving meal this is a great option that can be thrown together quickly. If you’re looking for something a bit heartier, this fall harvest salad is another long-time favorite!
Here’s what you’ll need…
Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad Ingredients:
- Homemade Garlic Sherry Vinaigrette – a classic vinaigrette made from sherry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, finely grated garlic, salt, and pepper. I prefer sharper, tangy vinaigrettes and tend to use a 1:1 ratio (vinegar to oil) in this recipe. If you prefer milder vinaigrettes, I recommend increasing the olive oil to taste. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.
- Baby Arugula – peppery baby arugula makes up the base of this salad.
- Shaved Fennel – provides crunch and a delicate anise flavor. I use a mandolin to slice it thinly, but a sharp chefs knife works too. To re-crisp shaved fennel, place in a bowl of ice water for five minutes. Drain well, pat dry, then use as directed.
- Toasted Hazelnuts – chopped toasted hazelnuts offer great texture and a delicate, sweet nutty addition. I use whole raw hazelnuts and toast them in a dry skillet until golden and fragrant. Allow them to cool, then roughly chop. Feel free to use skin-on hazelnuts or blanched hazelnuts. Either work!
- Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese – the final touch to this salad is shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese. I keep a block of it in my fridge at all times (can’t live without it) and use a Y-peeler to create delicate shavings. You can also find shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese at Trader Joe’s if you’re looking for a quick shortcut!
How to Serve This Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad:
This light salad works year-round for any occasion and goes with just about everything.
It is also a great salad to serve during the holidays when you’re looking for something a bit more elegant.
The vinaigrette and separate components can also be prepped and stored ahead (store the shaved fennel in cold water in a spill-proof container in the fridge for up to 5 days) easily too.
Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Sherry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Sherry Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil or more to taste (see notes below)
- ¼ cup (60 mL) sherry vinegar
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove grated with a microplane
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad:
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- ½ fennel head core trimmed and thinly shaved with a mandolin
- ½ cup raw hazelnuts toasted, and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese shavings
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Vinaigrette: In a jar, combine the olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, kosher salt, and freshly grond pepper. This ratio of oil to vinegar produces a sharper vinaigrette, if you prefer milder vinaigrettes, I recommend increasing the extra virgin olive oil to taste. Shake well and set aside.
- Prepare the Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the baby arugula leaves, shaved fennel, a pinch of kosher salt, and pepper. Add the sherry vinaigrette, just to lightly coat, and toss to combine. Add the chopped toasted hazelnuts and parmigiano shavings, and toss gently (*you can also reserve these and use them for garnishing each individual serving). Serve.
Tips for Success:
- How to Toast Hazelnuts: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the whole hazelnuts and toast, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl to cool for chopping.
- To re-crisp fennel for serving, add the shaved fennel to a bowl of ice water. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, drain the fennel well (and pat dry), then use as directed.
- To create parmesan curls, take a block of parmigiano-cheese and use a Y-peeler to create small ribbons.
8 Comments on “Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Sherry Vinaigrette”
This was fabulous! I didn’t have hazelnuts, so used toasted pine nuts instead. The flavors were simple, but so bright and fresh. Served this with a heartier eggplant lasagna. It was the perfect combo.
Love this salad so much. I plan on making it often! Consistently happy with every recipe of yours that I make!
it again when my daughters come home for Thanksgiving. It’s so simple and yet so tasty. I made it exactly as shown but I also think it would be delightful with apple sliced into it.
So happy to hear that!! Thank you Shah!
Absolutely loved this. I made it twice the first week and I’m making it again when my daughters come home for Thanksgiving. It’s so simple and yet so tasty. I made it exactly as shown but I also think it would be delightful with apple sliced into it.
Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a review Gina!! I (and I know others) really really appreciate it. So happy that you like the salad and hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving with your family! ☺️
Oh hey, that “friend” is me :). I love the idea of this dressing! I get burned out on my typical balsamic/apple cider vinegar mix, so I need to give this one a try!
Haha! 🙂 Yeah, I usually do a lemon vinaigrette, so this a nice switch for me too!