This Warm Fennel and Cucumber Salad is an extremely simple dish to throw together and have as a side to any main meal, especially during the week. I decided to make this warm fennel salad when I saw whole fennel bulbs at Trader Joe's and really wanted to try making something new with it. The idea of pairing the fennel with the cucumber came to mind because the cucumbers offer such a nice cool and fresh taste, balancing the sweet, licorice touch of the fennel. It's also all extremely healthy and flavorful, and just so pretty!
You can make this salad completely raw, but I decided to cook the fennel in a little olive oil to mellow down the taste and to wilt down the texture just a little bit. The licorice flavor is a bit of
Here are some of the great health benefits of fennel:
Fennel contains a high amount of fiber, serving as a great digestion tool
Fennel is linked to regulating blood pressure, benefitting heart health.
The vitamin and mineral content in fennel plays a role in maintaining and building bone structure
The bulb is a great source of Vitamin C
Fennel seeds are often linked to longevity - growing up in an Indian household, we often have fennel after a heavy Indian meal to aid digestion
One of my favorite things about buying fennel whole is that none of it has to go to waste. The bulb, as you see here, is used as the main component of the salad and sliced almost like an onion. You can keep the stalks and use them to make stock to add a nice perfume to your liquid. And finally, as you can see in the picture, the fronds are an excellent use for garnish and additional texture!