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Prep time
20 minutes
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Cook time
30 minutes
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Serves
4 to 6 people
Author Notes
One of our favorite ways to enjoy first-of-the-season apples beyond eating them out of hand, is in all sorts of fall-inspired salads—sometimes thinly sliced and simply tossed with spicy arugula, sometimes as one ingredient in a dense salad packed with roasted winter squash, farro, toasted nuts and more. Here we’ve combined it with a common companion—fennel—and roasted them both together to intensify their earthy fall flavors. Fresh herbs and lemon zest brighten and lighten the salad up. Toasted hazelnuts and goat cheese make it a little bit indulgent and totally irresistible. We serve the dish with roasted pork or chicken but it’s a filling meal on its own. —What We Eat Gals
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Ingredients
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3
baking apples (those that retain their structure when baked like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Pinklady, etc.)
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2
fennel bulbs with fronds
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Extra virgin olive oil
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Salt and pepper
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1 pinch
red pepper flakes
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1 handful
mint leaves
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4
scallions, thinly sliced
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1/2 cup
hazelnuts, toasted, peeled and chopped
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4 ounces
fresh goat cheese, crumbled (crumbled mild blue cheese would be delicious as well)
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1
lemon, zest and juice
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 425*F. Cut the fennel bulbs into 1-inch wedges, reserving the fennel fronds for finishing the salad. Cut the apples into similarly sized wedges. Spread the fennel on one parchment-lined sheet pan, and spread the apple on another. Drizzle both generously with olive oil, and season with salt, freshly cracked black peppers, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Roast the apple pan for 15 to 20 minutes, and roast the fennel pan for ~30 minutes, flipping each halfway through, until all are caramelized, golden brown, and tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on sheet pans.
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Meanwhile, prep mint leaves and fennel fronds. Slice scallions. Toast, peel and, chop hazelnuts. Crumble goat cheese.
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To finish the dish, carefully layer the roasted apples, roasted fennel, mint leaves, fennel fronds, sliced scallions, toasted hazelnuts and crumbled goat cheese on several layers on a shallow serving platter. Zest over 1 lemon and shower the whole thing with lemon juice and a drizzle of best quality extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy as a filling salad on its own or serve with roasted pork or chicken.
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