Honeydew and Fennel Salad With Basil

Name: Honeydew and Fennel Salad With Basil
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: ¼ cup raw pistachios; 1 fennel bulb; 6 tablespoons olive oil; ¼ 3-pound honeydew, rind and seeds removed, sliced ¼ inch thick; ½ lemon; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; Kosher salt; 1½ cups basil leaves, torn if large; 1 teaspoon Maras red pepper flakes or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

By Andy Baraghani

August 15, 2017

Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable Cauliflower Dish and Meal

Alex Lau

If you have a perfectly ripe melon—great! If you don’t, no worries. The salt, acid, and a bit of heat here will give life to lackluster specimens.

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

¼ cup raw pistachios

1 fennel bulb

6 tablespoons olive oil

¼ 3-pound honeydew, rind and seeds removed, sliced ¼ inch thick

½ lemon

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Kosher salt

1½ cups basil leaves, torn if large

1 teaspoon Maras red pepper flakes or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes; let cool. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and pound until mostly finely ground but with a few coarse pieces left. (You can also put them in a zip-top bag and use a flat-bottomed mug or rolling pin to break them up.) Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 2
Remove stalks from fennel bulb, then remove fronds from stalks. Finely chop fronds until you have a small handful (about ⅓ cup), transfer to bowl with nuts, and stir in oil. Season pistachio oil with salt. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline, shave fennel crosswise. Shave fennel stalks crosswise.
Step 3
Place melon and shaved fennel in a large bowl and finely grate zest from lemon over, then squeeze juice into bowl. Drizzle with vinegar and season with salt; toss salad to combine. Add basil and gently toss again just to distribute basil.
Step 4
Arrange half of salad on a platter; drizzle with some reserved pistachio oil. Top with remaining salad and drizzle with more pistachio oil. Sprinkle with Maras pepper.

TagsSalad Honeydew Melon Fruit Fennel Root Vegetable Vegetable Pistachio Nut Summer Side Dairy Free Gluten Free Vegan Vegetarian Raw Healthyish Bon Appétit

Recipe notes

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Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Recipe notes

27 Fennel Recipes for Crunchy Salads and Savory-Sweet Sides