Fennel is one of those vegetables that I think most people misunderstand. Does it have a reputation to be super licorice flavored? Yes. Does it look super weird and most people don’t know how to cut it? Yes. Do most people have zero clue how to use it? Correct.

But I’m here to convince you that fennel is one of the best things to cook with. My two favorite ways to enjoy it: (1) Shaved in a salad and (2) Deeply roasted and blended into a soup. Fennel is part of the carrot family, meaning its cousins are carrot, parsley, celery, dill, chervil, cilantro, parsnip and cumin. Isn’t that interesting?! Fennel is also full of anti-bloating properties along with these super nutrition bits, allowing for 1 cup of raw fennel:

• 3 g. fiber
• 12% RDI of Vitamin C
• 3% RDI of Calcium
• 4% RDI of Iron
• 4% RDI of Magnesium
• 8% RDI of Potassium
• 7% Manganese

All of that packed into 1 cup of raw fennel with only 27 calories! You can, of course, use the seeds which are incredible because of their essential oil content and pack a huge whop of flavor. The recipe I am so excited to share with you today uses the raw fennel, shaved, and tossed with a simple orange dressing, minced parsley, kale and pitted castelvetrano olives.

Now, before you go all crazy about the olives….let me clarify one thing. I STRONGLY DISLIKE OLIVES. As in they poison everything they touch, haha! However, many years ago on a trip to Italy I was fully convinced I would try as many olives as I had to until I found one I liked. Voila! Enter the castelvetrano olive. It’s buttery and creamy like an avocado without the tartness and brininess from most olives. If you are an olive hater like me, please take my advice and try these!! And if you still can’t get past it, toss some diced avocado on the salad instead!

Stay Safe out there, Drizzlers

xo, Kendra

Shaved Fennel Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Free From the Top-9 Food Allergens

Serves: 2-3

Prep Time: 25 minutes

• 2 oranges
• 1/4 . olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly or shaved over a microplane
• 1/4 c. minced parsley
• 1 bunch lacinato or dino kale, finely sliced
• 1 c. castelvetrano olives, pitted and cut in half
• salt, to taste

Directions

1. Slice around the outside of the orange and segment them (see video above!). Place the orange segments in a small bowl, set aside. Squeeze the remaining center of the orange into a large bowl for its juice.
2. Add the olive oil to the bowl and whisk.
3. Add the sliced fennel bulb and, using your hands,  toss to coat with the dressing.
4. Add the minced parsley, sliced kale and the olives and toss again, massaging the kale into the dressing, until it is all well combined and coated.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed.
5. Add the orange segments and gently toss to combine. Enjoy!

Happy Foods are the Best Foods!