It’s that beautiful time of year again, Baked Salad Season! The weather gets crispier, my salads get heartier and vegetables are begging to be baked. The first baked salad of the 2023 season is a roasted fennel and Brussels sprouts number, but there will be many more to follow, so please send me any baked salad requests you have! I’ll be happy to oblige.
What makes this salad special (compared to my other baked salads, which you can see here for kale, here for sprouts, and here for squash!) is that it reduces its own sticky-sweet fig balsamic dressing. Which sounds fancy, but it couldn’t be easier to make. Just whip it up while everything is in the oven, and your baked salad is ready to assemble.
Don’t have figs? No worries! This works just as well with raisins or dried cranberries in the mix. Anything sweet and feels autumnal is welcome here.
Read on for more on how to make this roasted fennel and brussels sprout salad, and welcome to baked salad season 3!
Table of contents
- What makes something a baked salad?
- What ingredients do you need for this roasted fennel salad?
- How to prepare the roasted elements for this fennel and brussels sprouts baked salad
- How to prepare the sticky fig dressing
- And what if I don’t have figs for this fig balsamic?
- Bringing this fennel and brussels sprout salad together
- Where can I find figs?
- FAQ
- A few of my other favorite salad recipes
What makes something a baked salad?
Ok so yes, a baked salad is technically just a bowl of roasted vegetables. But the reason I call it salad is because all of the vegetables are very thinly sliced, giving it that fork-and-knife, scoop-up-the-dressing, kind of feel. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner, and it feels quintessentially “salad.”
What ingredients do you need for this roasted fennel salad?
The ingredients for this baked salad are minimal, but together they sing. Here is everything you need for this fennel salad:
- 1 medium fennel bulb, stalks and fronds removed, thinly sliced
- 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) can of butter beans, or white beans, drained, rinsed and dried
- Chili oil, such as Brightland’s Ardor oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 9 black figs halved, see notes for substitutes
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
How to prepare the roasted elements for this fennel and brussels sprouts baked salad
This salad is all about using the oven to its maximum capabilities. To do this, we prep everything for prime roasting. First, preheat the oven to 400°F. Evenly stagger apart two shelves.
Scatter the thinly sliced fennel on one baking sheet and the Brussels sprouts on another. Drizzle both with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
In a food processor, add the beans and pulse a few times. Fluff with a fork to create a bean “crumble” of sorts. Transfer this to a lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the chili oil. Evenly scatter the beans out and season with a pinch of salt.
Roast the fennel and sprouts on the top rack of the oven. Take the sprouts out after 15 minutes or when you see their edges start to brown. Take the fennel out after 20-25 minutes, or when the edges start to brown as well.
Roast the beans on the bottom rack for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. It may seem like a paste at first, but cook until they brown and dry out, becoming golden and almost breadcrumb-like.
How to prepare the sticky fig dressing
This dressing is just a matter of reducing balsamic vinegar by half, it will turn all dark and sticky, and the figs will ease it into a bright, but slightly sweet dressing. It’s perfect for a hearty salad like this! And reducing isn’t hard, just think of it as simmering down for an extended period of time.
To do this, set a small pan over medium heat and add the balsamic vinegar, honey, figs and rosemary. Season with a liberal pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, and let the vinegar reduce by almost half, 10-12 minutes.
Halfway through the dressing’s cooking time, begin to mash the figs into the dressing. They should start to fall apart, and you can leave some pieces whole and some mashed in. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to stir.
When the dressing is thick enough that you can run your spatula along the pan and see the bottom for a few seconds, remove it from the heat. Remove the rosemary sprigs and discard. Taste and season with salt and pepper, it should be slightly sweet but acidic.
And what if I don’t have figs for this fig balsamic?
No worries! This will still be great with an ingredient like raisins or craisins, which will hydrate in the balsamic. It’s an easy swap and an equally delicious dressing.
Bringing this fennel and brussels sprout salad together
To finish this salad, toss it all directly on a baking sheet. And by that, I mean add the fennel and sprouts together, then the dressing on top. Mix everything into one big, glossy pile. Add to bowls and top with the beans. Simple. Delicious. Baked salad.
Where can I find figs?
Figs are highly delicious but also highly seasonal! I’ve found in the Northeast where I live, figs are available from July to September and are most readily available at the farmers’ market, or at places such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. If you live in a place without those options, I recommend going to your grocer and asking if they plan to order any figs for the season, some customer service desks have more info on shipments than we think!
You also might find figs in sneaky places of your grocer’s produce section that you don’t normally look at. Think: the packaged fruit by the berries, or in plastic tubs near the pre-cut foods. You’d be surprised where you can find figs lurking!
Of course, if you can’t find any, this recipe uses raisins as a sub, which you can find more info on in the recipe box below.
FAQ
Fennel does have a sharper flavor that some might not love, so I recommend swapping it for a savoy cabbage, or more brussels sprouts if you are so inclined!
This salad is a friend to many proteins, if you are vegetarian I like to recommend my crispy tofu as a topping for this, and if you prefer not to eat soy, my crispy chickpeas are another great option. Of course, this will go well with a simple roasted salmon or chicken, which is a favorite in my house!
Absolutely! Even if you dress it, this hearty salad will keep in your fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend storing the bean topping separately, so you can keep the texture.
Unfortunately, this salad does not reheat well after being frozen, but if you are looking for a short-term meal prep lunch, this baked salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
A few of my other favorite salad recipes
When it comes to baked salads, this list could go on for miles. But here are just a few of my favorite baked salads of seasons past!
And that’s it for this Roasted Fennel & Brussels Sprout Salad with Fig Balsamic!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Roasted Fennel & Brussels Sprout Salad with Fig Balsamic
Ingredients
- 1 medium fennel bulb stalks and fronds removed, thinly sliced
- 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts thinly sliced
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14 ounce can of butter beans or white beans drained, rinsed and dried
- Chili oil such as Brightland's Ardor oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 9 black figs halved, see notes for substitutes
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Evenly stagger apart two shelves.
- Scatter the thinly sliced fennel on one baking sheet and the Brussels sprouts on another. Drizzle both with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- In a food processor, add the beans and pulse a few times. Fluff with a fork to create a bean "crumble" of sorts. Transfer this to a lined baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the chili oil. Evenly scatter the beans out and season with a pinch of salt.
- Roast the fennel and sprouts on the top rack of the oven. Take the sprouts out after 15 minutes or when you see their edges start to brown. Take the fennel out after 20-25 minutes, or when the edges start to brown as well
- Roast the beans on the bottom rack for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. It may seem like a paste at first, but cook until they brown and dry out, becoming golden and almost breadcrumb-like.
- While everything is roasting, make the dressing.
- Set a small pan over medium heat and add the balsamic vinegar, honey, figs and rosemary. Season with a liberal pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, and let the vinegar reduce by almost half, 10-12 minutes.
- Halfway through the dressing's cooking time, begin to mash the figs into the dressing. They should start to fall apart, and you can leave some pieces whole and some mashed in. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to stir.
- When the dressing is thick enough that you can run your spatula along the pan and see the bottom for a few seconds, remove it from the heat. Remove the rosemary sprigs and discard. Taste and season with salt and pepper, it should be slightly sweet but acidic.
- Add the fennel to the baking sheet with the sprouts and pour over the dressing. Mix to combine.
- To serve, pile into two bowls and scatter with the beans. Serve right away.
I’m working on the fennel and butternut squash slop(salad and soup). Sand it’s been so long since I tasted fennel! My nonna used to eat raw fennel always after dinner she’d say”it was good for digestion and keep your breath fresh”. Thank you for a great meal this recipe is wonderful and it’s not too hard!
Just picked up a 2 lb flat of organic figs from Costco so gonna try this tonight!
Hello,
Where have you been all my life? Have you been asked that before? I am a seasoned cook (and person! cheerfully pushing 60 here!) and typically, not much gets my attention in the cooking world these days. Hey, if you’ve been cooking for 50 years…. Your recipes are absolutely delightful! I have been skimming over your posts and caught myself saying “OMG this looks amazing!” over and over and over. I don’t think I saw a recipe I didn’t want to make! Thank you most kindly!
Just made this last night for company. Total winner! Brussels sprouts and fennel (along with eggplant) seem to Not be on everyone’s favourite veg list, sadly. I hope this doesn’t put many readers off. Roasted fennel is nothing like its raw version and roasted brussels sprouts are leagues above the sloppy boiled mess some may remember from their childhood. I hope lots of people give this a try!
When I made this last night, I did not do the bean crunch (some of the guests did not like beans!), so I grabbed some Panko crumbs and slowly toasted them in good butter (I sin, I sin) and topped the salad with that. Super yummy crunch! I also served the salad on a bed of arugula tossed with radicchio chiffonade. That gave an extra bit of that bitter, peppery depth. Lastly, I already had some good quality fig balsamic, so I just put on some fresh sliced figs. Absolute heaven, though I, personally, would go with beans hands down.
I cheated and used a cruciferous crunch mix from Trader Joes because I couldn’t find any fennel. I crumbled tofu to make my “breadcrumbs” and the fig “dressing” was amazing! Felt fun and cozy to make!
Justine I swear you are the reason I still enjoy food! I love absolutely everything you make. Thank you so much for all the great recipes!
Comments like this make me so happy – thank you for saying this and for making my food! Appreciate it more than you now <3