Apple, Beet & Fennel Salad with Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

 This is one of those unusual dishes that turned out to be fantastic. It's quite colorful and almost surreal looking. This came about as I had an extra fennel left over from my Butternut Squash and Fennel Lasagne and a beet that I was going to use in another recipe but decided against it. A google search of fennel and beet brought me to a few various recipes, some of which included my favorite apple, the fuji. I came up with my own version using this wonderful dressing. To be honest, I don't really care for beets much but trying to work them into my lifestyle. This salad is perfect! The beets and all the flavors come together beautifully making it a go to salad that can give me the excellent beet nutrition that I'm looking to add to my meal rotation every now and then.
You could also use other colored beets too. I experimented with a yellow one and it was just as colorful and tasty as well. The maple pecans really add a nice touch. I can't imagine not making this salad without all of these ingredients as they each add their own special touch but you can adjust to suit your flavor palate. I'm looking forward to more of this in the future using some of the other colored beets again as well...really delicious!

Apple, Beet & Fennel Salad w/ Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Salad

• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 red beet (uncooked), peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced or diced...a few frods reserved for garnish
• 1 fuji apple, or hard crisp apple or pear of choice, cored and diced
• handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
• arugula or spinach, optional

Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 heaping teaspoon dijon or stoneground mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix nuts with 1/4 cup maple syrup and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for about 10 minutes, set aside to cool. Maple will be carmelized on the nuts and your home will be smelling oh so good at this point !

Prepare your vegetables, fruit and herbs, combine them in a large bowl or dish of choice. Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, combine until blended adding salt and pepper to taste. Add nuts (reserve a few for garnish) and dressing to prepared mix and combine.

Serve on a small bed of arugula or spinach, garnish with nuts and a few fennel fronds.

Notes: You may like to grate your apple and fennel. I tried it myself but didn't care for it as I prefer to have some chunkiness to my salad.

If using a lighter color beet, you may consider using apple cider vinegar in place of the balsamic so the dark color of the balsamic doesn't discolor your lighter colored beets.

Enjoy the flavor sensation !

 This is one of those unusual dishes that turned out to be fantastic. It's quite colorful and almost surreal looking. This came about as I had an extra fennel left over from my Butternut Squash and Fennel Lasagne and a beet that I was going to use in another recipe but decided against it. A google search of fennel and beet brought me to a few various recipes, some of which included my favorite apple, the fuji. I came up with my own version using this wonderful dressing. To be honest, I don't really care for beets much but trying to work them into my lifestyle. This salad is perfect! The beets and all the flavors come together beautifully making it a go to salad that can give me the excellent beet nutrition that I'm looking to add to my meal rotation every now and then.
You could also use other colored beets too. I experimented with a yellow one and it was just as colorful and tasty as well. The maple pecans really add a nice touch. I can't imagine not making this salad without all of these ingredients as they each add their own special touch but you can adjust to suit your flavor palate. I'm looking forward to more of this in the future using some of the other colored beets again as well...really delicious!

Apple, Beet & Fennel Salad w/ Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Salad

• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 red beet (uncooked), peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced or diced...a few frods reserved for garnish
• 1 fuji apple, or hard crisp apple or pear of choice, cored and diced
• handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
• arugula or spinach, optional

Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 heaping teaspoon dijon or stoneground mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix nuts with 1/4 cup maple syrup and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for about 10 minutes, set aside to cool. Maple will be carmelized on the nuts and your home will be smelling oh so good at this point !

Prepare your vegetables, fruit and herbs, combine them in a large bowl or dish of choice. Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, combine until blended adding salt and pepper to taste. Add nuts (reserve a few for garnish) and dressing to prepared mix and combine.

Serve on a small bed of arugula or spinach, garnish with nuts and a few fennel fronds.

Notes: You may like to grate your apple and fennel. I tried it myself but didn't care for it as I prefer to have some chunkiness to my salad.

If using a lighter color beet, you may consider using apple cider vinegar in place of the balsamic so the dark color of the balsamic doesn't discolor your lighter colored beets.

Enjoy the flavor sensation !