Now when it comes to the plant… well, this was my first time trying it. I saw a small fennel bulb at my local farmer’s market. I asked the vendor how to use it and the sweet lady spent the next five minutes giving me ideas. One of those ideas was to use it in a salad. I have been eating fennel seeds since I was a little kid. When you leave an Indian restaurant, chances are you’ll see a bowl full of seeds, some of them in bright candy coating. When I was younger, I would tell mom I wanted “Indian mints” after we’d finish a meal. Fennel seeds are used as a breath freshener and to help with digestion. We also use fennel seeds (usually fennel powder) in Indian cooking. We call it sauf (Hindi). I love the stuff. I sliced the fennel into thin strips and tossed it with some baby kale and chopped avocado. The fennel had a celery-like crunch with a slight hint of licorice. My husband, who isn’t a fan of fennel seeds or licorice, liked the salad. So in my book, fennel salad = a win. I made a lemon-thyme dressing to go along with the salad and the citrusy flavor went together wonderfully with all the greens. Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
