Fennel Avocado Salad

Fennel avocado salad

The Spruce

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Thinly sliced fennel, creamy avocado, and pungent red onion get coated in an easy dressing to make this quick, easy, and healthful winter salad. If you have a kitchen mandolin, this is the time to break it out to thinly slice the fennel. If not, don't worry, a sharp knife will work just fine.

The avocado breaks down a bit and becomes part of the vinaigrette, making a rich, creamy dressing with very little effort. The smaller you chop the avocado, the more it will mush into the dressing (you can even mash it in, if you like). Like the effect? You might like this Avocado Vinaigrette for use on the salad of your choice!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)

  • 1 ripe avocado

  • 1 bulb fennel (trimmed and sliced as thinly as possible)

  • 1/4 small red onion

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for avocado fennel salad
    The Spruce 
  2. In a medium to a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.

    Whisk together lemon juice and salt
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  3. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise.

    Cut the avocado
    The Spruce 
  4. Twist the two halves so they "pop" apart.

    Twist halve
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  5. Remove the pit: either edge it out with a spoon, or smack the sharp blade of a knife into it, twist just a bit a pull it out (just be sure to use caution when then pulling the pit off the blade!).

    Remove pit
    The Spruce
  6. Use the tip of the knife to cut the avocado into slices or cubes—carefully cutting through the flesh, but not through the peel.

    Slice avocado
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  7. Then push the peel, as if you're trying to flip it inside-out, over the bowl full of dressing and the slices or chunks will fall right out!

    Push peel
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  8. Toss to coat the avocado with the dressing, mashing some of the avocado into the dressing, if you like.

    Toss avocado
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  9. Trim off and discard the root end and the green stalks of the fennel (if there are some frilly leaves attaches to the stalks, reserve them to use as a garnish, if you like).

    Discard root of fennel
    The Spruce
  10. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and lay the halves cut-side-down on a cutting surface.

    Cut the bulb in half
    The Spruce 
  11. Slice crosswise as thinly as possible (or use a kitchen mandoline).

    Slice crosswise
    The Spruce 
  12. Add the fennel to the bowl.

    Add the fennel to the bowl
    The Spruce
  13. Peel and thinly slice the red onion.

    Peel and slice red onion
    The Spruce
  14. Tame its sharp flavor by rinsing the slices in cold water and then patting them thoroughly dry.

    Onions in bowl of water
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  15. Add them to the bowl.

    Add them to the bowl
    The Spruce
  16. Toss to coat the vegetables evenly with the dressing. Add black pepper and more salt to taste.

    Toss vegetables
    The Spruce
  17. If you reserved some fennel fronds, use them as a delicate and tasty garnish.

    Fennel and onion salad
    The Spruce
  18. Serve the salad immediately, or cover and chill for a few hours—just be sure to cover the surface of the salad directly with waxed paper or plastic wrap to keep the avocado from browning.

  19. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
199 Calories
18g Fat
11g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 199
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 283mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 7g 27%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 13mg 66%
Calcium 24mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 587mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)