Grilled Fennel, Onion and Tomato Salad

Fennel is one of my favorite summer crops. One of my first encounters with fennel was while developing my Cabbage and White Bean Soup recipe. To this day, that is one of my favorite recipes on the blog, partially thanks to the addition of fennel. 

So, when I found the old 1990’s cookbook From Asparagus to Zucchini on my parents’ bookshelf, I naturally flipped straight to the fennel recipes. Among many other intriguing fennel recipes, I found a simple recipe for grilled onion and fennel with parmesan. This sounded absolutely delicious and I knew I needed to try it.

The original recipe calls for only onions and fennel, but I remembered especially loving the combination of fennel and roasted tomatoes in my cabbage soup, so I decided to toss in some tomatoes as well. I also opted to serve this dish on a bed of greens and add in some lemon juice to make it a more substantial salad and brighten it up.

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 25 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 large sweet onion (about 8 ounces) with the root end in-tact

• 1-2 fennel bulbs (about 1 pound) with the stalks removed

• 4-6 small tomatoes (about 12 ounces)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

• 2 packed cups mixed greens

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/4 cup grated asiago cheese

• Lemon zest for serving

• Salt to taste

Methods

1. Set up a steam basket over boiling water. Cut the fennel into 1/3-inch thick slices and steam them for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. While the fennel is steaming, cut the onion into 1/3-inch thick slices and the tomatoes into halves or quarters (depending on how large they are.) When the fennel is done steaming, coat all the veggies in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. 

2. Transfer the veggies to a large cast-iron griddle or to a grill basket on an outdoor grill over medium heat. Heat for 6-8 minutes on each side, or until all the vegetables are soft and lightly charred. The tomatoes and onions might get charred before the fennel, so have a bowl ready to transfer them as they finish cooking. When all are finished cooking, use a pair of tongs to crush a few of the tomato pieces over the other veggies. This will act as part of the dressing and make the veggies more flavorful. Set aside. 

3. In a large bowl, toss the greens with olive oil and lemon juice until lightly coated. Sprinkle with more table salt or flaky sea salt to taste. To plate, arrange the greens on a large platter. Then, scatter the grilled veggies on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese and lemon zest. Eat up!

Sustainability Tips

• Onion, fennel, tomatoes and greens: Make this salad when all the produce is in season (pst! that's summer!). Doing this will make it easier to find local and organic produce. Buying organically and locally cuts down on pesticide contamination and can help you get to know your local food producers.

• Asiago cheese: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products locally or from B Corp companies, which are held to really high environmental and social standards. You could also try out vegan cheese options if you're feeling adventurous.