Shaved Fennel Salad With Croutons and Walnuts

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 400°. Place 2 cups coarsely torn sourdough bread on one side of a rimmed baking sheet and ½ cup walnuts or pecans on the other side (they cook at different rates). Drizzle bread with 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; season with kosher salt. Toss, squeezing bread with your hands to help it absorb as much oil as possible, until evenly coated. Bake until nuts are golden brown and croutons are deeply browned and very crisp, 8–10 minutes for nuts, 12–15 minutes for croutons. Let cool, then coarsely chop nuts.

   Step 2

   Meanwhile, combine 3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, 1 garlic clove, finely grated, and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Let sit 10 minutes to let garlic mellow and flavor the vinegar.

   Step 3

   Whisk 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into vinegar mixture, then add croutons and chopped nuts. Season crouton mixture with some kosher salt and toss to coat and let croutons soften slightly; set aside.

   Step 4

   Protect your hands from the sharp slicer blade by gripping the slippery veg with a kitchen towel.

   Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski

   Remove stalks and fronds from 2 fennel bulbs. Remove fronds from stalks and coarsely chop; thinly slice stalks. Place in a large bowl. Cut fennel bulbs in half and thinly slice on a mandoline (if you have one; if not, practice your knife skills). Add to same bowl along with ¾ cup torn fresh mint leaves. Zest ½ lemon over salad, then squeeze in juice. Season with kosher salt and toss to combine.

   Step 5

   Divide reserved crouton mixture among plates and top with 1 oz. Parmesan, shaved. Arrange fennel salad over; top with remaining 1 oz. Parmesan, shaved, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
   
   Editor’s note: This fennel salad recipe was first printed in our April 2018 issue. Head this way for more great Thanksgiving salads →