Simple salads: fennel and green papaya
Fennel and green papaya salad
A taste of licorice
What I’ve really come to enjoy from starting this food blog is seeing how recipes evolve every time someone decides to tweak it to their individual taste.
Another blogger I follow has even named her blog Recipe Adaptors. I do it all the time too, like I’ve done today with this fennel salad. This recipe comes from website Simply Recipes, which adapted it from the South Beach diet.
I love fennel, especially when it’s sliced and roasted but I’ve never eaten it raw in a salad before as you have to admit that the aniseed flavour can be quite overpowering. As I had some green papaya in the fridge, I thought adding some to this salad would help temper the fennel’s strength.
I have to admit that I added much more parmesan that the original recipe but that’s because I LOVE the taste of parmesan.
Even though it’s not summer anymore, I know I’m going to be making this salad over and over again. It’s wonderfully refreshing and what’s amazing is that you’re not left with any overpowering taste of aniseed at all.
We had it for dinner recently with grilled bratwurst as a replacement to sauerkraut and it was perfect!
Refreshing and sharp and sweet and crisp - all at the same time.
This salad will definitely work well too with grilled fish or a spicy dry roasted pork, something I’m going cook the next time I make this salad.
If you’re game to give this a go, here’s the recipe.
Love the crisp creamy whiteness of this salad
Fennel and green papaya salad (serves 2-3)
1 fennel bulb, sliced as thinly as possible (or use a mandoline if you have one)
1 cup of shredded green papaya
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 pinches of chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leave parsley
1 cup grated/shaved parmesan
Pinch of white pepper
Put everything into a bowl and mix it all up!
Lots of love
thebigfatnoodle
thebigfatnoodle 
This salad looks delicious. Thaks for sharing. Have a nice day 🙂
Thank you, have a great day too!
What a delicious sounding salad, so light, healthy and tasty!
Thanks. Been a bit busy with work so sorry for the late reply. Will be catching up on your blog tonight!
I recently made a coleslaw with fennel and never thought to slice up some fruit in it like papaya or green apple – might have to do that. I made the dressing with yogurt and was amazed at the reviews – different good and did not miss the mayo. Your salad looks good and can be used alone or as a side dish – like that!
Didn’t think about a yoghurt based dressing, what a good idea!
I love fennel in salads. I like it with pink grapefruit
That sounds really refreshing, I’ll give it a go the next time I buy some fennel
My most favorite restaurant in Toronto serves a mango and fennel salad under grilled calamari and it is to die for! One would not think the flavours would work, but WOW, they sure do. Now I feel like that salad and I’m about 4,000 miles away in Morocco!
Thanks :-p
Mango and fennel, that sounds like a brilliant combo. I’m planning a trip to Vancouver next year and can’t wait to check out the cuisine, I hear Canadian food rocks!!!