This apple radish salad with fennel is so flavourful and full of healthy fruits and vegetables, with a honey apple dressing. Very easy to make, and perfect as a side salad with other dishes. Vegetarian, gluten free and low histamine recipe.
Fresh crisp salads are always a go-to in my home, either by themselves for lunch or as a side with a main meal. And with BBQ food in the summer of course! As well as this salad, my nutty wild rice salad and waldorf salad are always on repeat.
For another tasty salad making the most of fennel, you may like to see my pear and fennel salad!
Recently I have been back to making sure I eat my 30 plant foods (or more!) a week, and this simple apple and fennel salad gives a good quota of them. The crisp fresh fruit and veg feels like a treat and goes perfectly with most main dishes.
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Why this recipe is so good
- Super healthy: packed with vitamins, this healthy apple salad has five 'plants' with the vegetables, fruit, nuts and herbs.
- The best crunch: with crisp apple, fennel and radish, this easy salad has the best crunch.
- Versatile: have this as a side salad for your evening meal, take to a BBQ, potluck or summer picnic.
Ingredients
Full of fresh and light ingredients, you will need the following for this salad:
- Apple: I use smaller red apples for this recipe, but you can use green apple and any variety that you prefer.
- Fennel: such an under-used vegetables I think! Slice finely, and enjoy the aniseed flavour.
- Radish: for a little kick of heat. If you prefer a mild radish, then the french breakfast radishes are lovely.
- Pistachios: for a little crunch. Use ones that are not salted or roasted.
- Thyme: I like thyme in this salad, but you can easily swap out for parsley.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I would suggest using something like the Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil rather than olive oil, for a better flavour.
- Honey: to add a touch of sweetness to the dressing.
- Apple cider vinegar: for the dressing. Or you can use white distilled vinegar, which rates as low histamine, or leave out altogether.
- Apple juice: to add a touch of sweetness to the dressing.
- Salt and pepper: to season.
Variations to the recipe
For those who are not on a low histamine diet, you can use lemon juice in the dressing in place of apple juice.
Not a fan of pistachios or prefer to be nut free? Swap out for pumpkin seeds instead. The Terrasoul organic pumpkin seeds are good.
A note on vinegar
If you follow a low histamine diet then you may wish to leave out the vinegar altogether and use a little more apple juice in the dressing.
Apple cider vinegar scores 1 on the SIGHI list, while white distilled vinegar scores 0. Some people may not be able to tolerate any vinegar however.
Make sure to see the full ingredients and instructions in the recipe box below!
Step by step instructions
A very simple salad to make, with just a few steps.
Step 1
Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and stirring (or whisking) to combine. Adjust the amount of oil and vinegar (or apple juice) to taste preference.
Step 2
Toast the pistachios in a pan, without using any oil. You may wish to break them up slightly with the back of a spoon first.
Make sure they are plain pistachios, as salted would definitely not taste good in this salad!
Step 3
Finely slice the apple, fennel and radishes. I use a knife and slice carefully, but if you want a very fine slice then you can use a mandoline - just watch fingers when using!
For a tutorial on how to slice fennel, this post by the Kitchn may be helpful. In essence, slice off the stalks and fronds, then finely slice towards the root. Personally, if the root feels too tough then I leave this out.
Step 4
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. You may wish to add about half the dressing to begin with, then taste and add more to taste preference.
Arrange on your serving plate and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Frequently asked questions
This is to personal preference, but I would suggest to slice the apple, fennel and radish as finely as you can. This is especially true for the fennel as it can be quite tough and fibrous. You can use a mandoline or simply use a sharp knife to slice finely.
I would suggest not making too far in advance as the apple and fennel can brown quite quickly.
Yes, simply swap out the pistachios for pumpkin seeds.
More salad recipes to enjoy
Whether it is for a summer lunch or picnic, or as a side dish, these salads are full of flavour. Choose from my roasted vegetable panzanella salad or my roasted vegetable pasta salad, amongst many others.
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram and Facebook to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating if you tried the recipe!
Recipe
Apple radish salad
Ingredients
- 3 small apples de-cored, finely sliced
- 1 medium fennel bulb stalks and fronds removed, finely sliced
- ⅓ cup pistachios
- 3-4 radishes tops removed, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves (or parsley)
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar optional, or white distilled vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients. Taste, and adjust the amount of oil, vinegar (if using) and apple juice to taste.
- Toast the pistachios in a pan (without oil) for 4-5 minutes.
- Finely slice the apples, along with the fennel and radishes (after removing tops, fronds and stalks, as appropriate).
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine, I would suggest using half the dressing to begin with, and then adding more to taste.
- Arrange on your serving plate, and sprinkle with thyme. Enjoy!
Notes
- Slice the apple, fennel and radish quite finely, particularly the fennel as it is quite fibrous. This will help it soak up the dressing also.
- Use unsalted pistachios.
- For a nut free option, swap out the pistachios for pumpkin seeds.
- apple cider vinegar scores 1.
- black pepper scores 2.
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