Fennel, Pomegranate and Maple Roasted Walnut Salad
This gorgeous salad is the perfect holiday side dish, and you might find yourself making the maple walnuts alone as a snack!
Ingredients
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 head fennel
- 12 ounces mixed greens or arugula 2 BAGS
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds I buy pre-prepped but instructions below for removing seeds*
- Avocado Oil Vinaigrette to taste
- Optional: crumbled goat cheese
VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
Instructions
- Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
- *To remove seeds from a pomegranate: fill a large bowl 1/2 way with room temperature water. Slice pomegranate into quarters. Hold a quarter under the water and scrape out seeds. The pith should fall to the bottom and the seeds should float, so you can just scoop them up.
- Preheat oven to 400 and add walnuts to a baking sheet. Roast walnuts for 10-12 minutes or until fragrant and slightly darker in color. Remove from oven and place walnuts in a heat-proof bowl. Toss with maple syrup and cayenne and spread back onto baking sheet to cool.
- Slice off approximately 3/4" of the base of your fennel, as well as the fronds (the things sticking out), leaving just the round bulb. Slice into rounds as thinly as you can, at least 1/4" thick. Rinse and drain and pat dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, sliced fennel and roasted walnuts. Add goat cheese, if using, then toss with Avocado Oil Vinaigrette to taste.