This is a spin on a salad I had at a dinner party once and absolutely fell in love with. It’s the perfect combination of crunchy, sour, sweet, and refreshing. Truth be told I am a sucker for anything pickled, especially onions. I’ve tried making many different variations of pickled onions before, but this recipe is by far the easiest. Besides the vibrant pickled onions, this dish has many other great flavors. The base of the salad is fennel, which adds a delicious crunch and mild licorice flavor to the dish. Fennel is a unique vegetable because unlike the fresh leaves grown from the top of the plant, which have a strong anise flavor, the bulb tastes much more subtle when sliced very thinly. Slices of apple add a delicious sweetness to each bite and help to balance out the bold flavor of the pickled onions.
What a fantastic salad! I’ve made it twice in the past week its so good. Great combinatino of textures and flavor. It’s going on our thanksgiving menu!
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Fresh Apple and Fennel Salad With Pickled Onions
- Ingredients You Need:
- How To Make This Apple And Fennel Salad with Pickled Onions
- Kitchen Tools You Will Need:
- Tips for the Best Fennel Apple Salad
- How To Modify:
- Serving Suggestions:
- Common Questions
- Apple and Fennel Salad with Pickled Onions and Almonds Recipe
Why You Will Love This Fresh Apple and Fennel Salad With Pickled Onions
- The flavors are unexpected yet absolutely delicious and it packs a lot of crunch thanks to the apple, toasted almonds and crisp fennel.
- This tangy salad will last for a couple of days and is great for meal prep.
- Requires simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.
- This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet legal and can easily be made vegan
Ingredients You Need:
- Red onion: Red onions make the most delicious pickled onions. They turn a gorgeous pink color and have a milder flavor than white or yellow onions. They can alternatively be substituted for sliced shallots.
- Apple cider vinegar: Gives the pickled onions great flavor with a hint of natural sweetness. White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar work too.
- Honey: Honey is my preferred sweetness for the pickled onions but you could alternatively add maple syrup or white sugar.
- Fennel bulbs: The star of the show, the fresh fennel adds a fresh crunch to the salad along with a great anise flavor. Trim the fennel stalks from the fennel bulb with a sharp knife, removing the tough outer layers and slicing it thinly. Save the fennel fronds as a garnish if you want!
- Apple: Any variety works beautifully. Sweet apples like Gala or Pink Lady complement the tangy onions, while green apples like Granny Smith add a tart contrast. Choose based on your preference.
- Almonds: Toasted sliced almonds add a satisfying crunch. Walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts are great alternatives.
- Fresh parsley: Finely chopped parsley brings herby freshness and a pop of bright green color.
- Extra virgin olive oil: A good quality olive oil makes all the difference in this simple dressing. Avocado oil works as a substitute.
- Lemon: Don’t forget the zestiness that comes from a little lemon juice.
You can find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card below
How To Make This Apple And Fennel Salad with Pickled Onions
- Start the pickled onions at least 1 hour before serving. Slice the red onion into thin rings. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt until dissolved. Add the sliced onions, making sure they’re fully submerged. Let them sit for at least 1 hour until softened and pink. Taste halfway through—add more honey if you prefer them sweeter.
- Using a mandoline slicer or sharp chef’s knife, shave the fennel bulb into paper-thin slices. If using a mandoline, the thinnest setting works best. Wash your apple, quarter it, remove the core, and slice it thin as well. Combine the sliced fennel, sliced apple, toasted almonds, and drained pickled onions in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, and kosher salt. Drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or fennel fronds.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need:
- Mandoline or sharp knife
- Cutting Board
- Small Bowl
- Medium Sized Bowl
- Whisk
Tips for the Best Fennel Apple Salad
- Slice everything thin: Paper-thin fennel and apple slices are key to the perfect texture. A mandoline makes this easy, but a sharp knife and patience work too.
- Don’t skip the pickling time: The onions need at least an hour to mellow and develop that beautiful pink color.
- Toast your almonds: A quick toast in a dry pan brings out their flavor and adds extra crunch.
- Use a ripe, crisp apple: Mealy apples won’t give you the satisfying crunch this salad needs.
How To Modify:
- Add more or less honey to the pickled onions and dressing based on your taste. Maple syrup, coconut sugar or white sugar work as alternatives.
- Add more crunch by tossing in sliced celery, pomegranate arils, or dried cranberries for extra texture and pops of sweetness.
- Switch the almonds with walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts.
- Add other fresh herbs such as mint which would pair beautifully with the fennel and apple.
- Crumbled goat cheese, flaked parmesan cheese or feta add a creamy, tangy element if you eat dairy.
- Add in greens such as baby spinach, peppery arugula or baby kale
Serving Suggestions:
This fennel apple salad is versatile enough to serve as a light lunch on its own or as a refreshing side dish. It pairs especially well with:
The bright, tangy flavors cut through rich proteins beautifully. It’s also a crowd-pleaser at potlucks and holiday gatherings.
Common Questions
This Fennel, Pickled Onion & Apple Salad is a great recipe to make in advance, and it will keep in the fridge for 2 days when made in full. However, you can meal-prep it a bit. Make the pickled onions up to a couple of days in advance, slice your fennel and store in an airtight container, and make the dressing and store in a mason jar. I wouldn’t recommend slicing the apple ahead of time, though, or it will brown. Alternatively you can prepare this salad with the fennel, almonds, pickled onions and lemon dressing a few hours in advance and simply add in the apple slices right before serving.
This simple salad keeps incredibly well for next time, and leftovers for this easy salad can be enjoyed for up to 2 days even when dressed. Be sure to store it in an airtight container for ultimate freshness.
Here are a few other fennel salad recipes & side dishes that you will love:
- Green Bean & Roasted Fennel Salad
- Caramelized Leek, Fennel & Onion Gratin
- Crispy Lemon & Herb Chicken with Fennel
- Citrus, Fennel, Avocado & Shrimp Salad
- Sausage & Fennel Pasta
If you make this fennel salad recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Apple and Fennel Salad with Pickled Onions and Almonds
Ingredients
Pickled Onions
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Salad
- 2 large fennel bulbs
- 1 apple honey crisp or gala
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds halved
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Lemon Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- The pickled onions should be made at least 1 hour before serving the salad. Start by cutting the red onion into thin slices.
- In a bowl whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey and salt until well mixed. Then add in the sliced onion making sure that it is all fully submerged in the liquid. Allow to sit for minimum 1 hour until softened. Taste the onions approximately half way through pickling and add more honey if you prefer them to be sweeter.
- Using a mandolin or a sharp knife finely slice the fennel bulbs into very thin slices. Wash the apple, cut in quarters and remove the core. Then also cut the apple into thin slices.
- In a salad bowl combine the sliced fennels and apples, halved almonds and the pickled onions.
- In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
This post was originally published on May 24, 2017 and updated with new copy and photos on October 29, 2024 and updated with new copy on May 6, 2026.
What a fantastic salad! I’ve made it twice in the past week its so good. Great combinatino of textures and flavor. It’s going on our thanksgiving menu!
This is a refreshing salad.! Perfect blend of sweet and sour! I will make this again!
Delicious! Perfect combination of sweet and sour!
I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2019 for people who are trying to make more meat-free meals (everyone has to start somewhere). I would love to feature you.
Excellent salad for a winter meal – we had it with a lamb/turkey pie and potatoes au gratin. We used dill instead of parsley and omitted nuts for allergy reasons – crunchy and tasty!
That sounds like a delicious meal with pie and potato au gratin! I am so happy that you enjoyed the salad!
hi..I made this amazing salad this past weekend. My husband has already asked me a few times, when will I be making it again..So it was a GREAT HIT !!! Thanks..and I saw your cookbook will be coming out
next year..Can’t wait..
I’m so happy the salad was a success!