Shaved Fennel Arugula Salad with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Sherry Vinaigrette
Simple arugula salad with shaved fennel, toasted hazelnuts, parmesan, and a garlic sherry vinaigrette. An easy arugula salad recipe to enjoy year round. Please note that this vinaigrette recipe produces extra and uses a 1:1 ratio of acid to fat (sherry vinegar to extra virgin olive oil) - if you prefer milder vinaigretes, you can increase the ratio of oil (ie. ⅓ cup sherry vinegar + ½ cup olive oil, etc.) to tone it down. Enjoy!
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.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 256kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 736mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g