Spring is no longer only with us in name; the past few days have been filled with sunshine and the chill in the air has vanished. How did you spend your Easter bank holiday weekend? I had a lovely weekend filled with catching up a friend I hadn’t seen in too long, taking a day trip to York, doing some much needed DIY on the bathroom ceiling and, finally, spending a lot of time in my kitchen (not to mention getting some quality time to spend on this little space here).
It is weekends like that which make me wish all weekends were four days long!
One of the sunniest things that could possibly grace your plate on a sunny weekend is this gorgeous, colourful Warm Fennel and Pomegranate Salad. The fennel is slow roasted so it almost melts in your mouth and the sweet sticky coating contrasts perfectly with the ever-so-faint anise flavor.
Pomegranate in a savoury dish works similarly to a citrus, cutting through the sweet flavor of fennel and the earthy spinach and beetroot. The nutty tahini dressing really tops this off to make a well-rounded dish that will please all of your tastebuds.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the fennel:
4 fennel bulbs, stalks trimmed and cut into thick slices
2tbsp maple syrup, honey (for non-vegan version) or similar (I used Sweet Freedom plant-based honey)
1tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
450g fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
4 pickled or cooked beetroot, cut into eighths
1 pomegranate, seeds only
For the dressing:
3tbsp tahini
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp lemon juice
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Pour the oil out onto a baking tray and heat up in the oven for a few minutes. Add the fennel and black pepper and mix well to coat the fennel fully with the pepper and oil.
3. Roast in the oven for around 25 minutes before adding the maple syrup/honey, mix well and return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until the fennel has turned golden brown.
4. In a small bowl, mix the tahini, oil and lemon together until they are fully combined and have formed a smooth sauce. If it is too thick, add a little more oil or lemon.
5. Add the spinach and beetroot to a bowl then top with the roasted fennel. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and drizzle over the tahini dressing. Serve whilst the fennel is still warm.
Looking for more spring salad ideas? Try this Curly Kale Quinoa Salad with Sweet Balsamic Beetroot!
