Fennel Salad with Tempeh & Walnut Dressing
This fennel salad is light but creamy, thinly sliced, filled with flavor and the only way I like to eat raw vegetables in the winter. Serve with thick slices of crusty bread and crispy tempeh on top, and your salad world will be changed
Equipment
- 1 small blender
- 1 chef's knife
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pack of tempeh
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup walnut halves
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar plus more as needed
- 3-4 sprigs fresh dill stems removed
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 lemon for juicing
- 1 medium fennel
- 1 small red onion
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup torn basil and mint optional, but really delicious
- 2-4 slices thick sourdough bread for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roughly crumble or chop up the tempeh, until no piece is bigger than the size of a pea. Scatter on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes or until the tempeh is golden brown and has some bite to it.
- While the tempeh is baking, prepare the rest of the recipe.
- In a measuring cup, pour boiling water over the walnuts. Let the hot water help them soften for 1-2 minutes.
- In a separate cup, pour the red wine vinegar over the cranberries to help soften them as well. Set aside.
- Drain the walnuts and add them to a small blender with the dill, capers, and juice from one whole lemon. Add 1/3 cup of water and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Next, remove the fennel stalks from the bulb. Reserve 2 cups of fronds for the salad, and store away the rest of the stalks for later use. Then thinly slice the fennel bulb and thinly slice the red onion.
- In a large bowl, add the mustard, honey, cranberries and vinegar and about 1/4 cup of the walnut cream. Mix together to form a dressing.
- Add the fennel, fronds and red onion to the bowl and toss to coat in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper as needed. If using, add the torn basil and mint.
- When the tempeh is out of the oven, toss half in with the salad and use the other half for topping.
- Spread each slice of bread with a small amount of walnut cream and pile high with the salad. Sprinkle with the remaining tempeh and serve!