Pear and Fennel Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

This pear and fennel salad is the perfect marriage of flavor and texture. Sweet, crisp fennel and juicy pears are balanced with crunchy, nutty almonds and briny feta. A tangy, sweet-tart pomegranate vinaigrette brings everything together to produce a salad that is just as gorgeous as it is bright, fresh, and flavorful.

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The more I delve into the Mediterranean diet, the more I rely on salads for both nutrition and variety. Fennel and pear are ingredients that feature fairly regularly, although I haven’t historically used them together all that often. That’ll change, because in the course of creating this pear and fennel salad, I’ve discovered they go together beautifully in terms of both flavor and texture.

This is the third recipe on my blog that features fennel as a main ingredient, as it’s a go-to flavor for me when I’m cooking Mediterranean diet recipes. Fennel is really lovely and mild when roasted, such as in my Butternut Squash, Apple, and Fennel Tian and Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup. But as delicious as it is cooked, I think fennel is at its very best when raw, thinly sliced or shaved into a salad.

Dust off your mandoline for thinly sliced fennel and pear

The mandoline I received as a wedding gift wallowed in obscurity in the cabinet over my stove for many years. I had never been taught to use it properly, and it was too frustrating to figure it out on my own.

I was so thankful to stumble on the knife skills class at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, which finally opened up the world of mandoline slicing technique for me. When it comes to shaved fennel there’s no better tool. I also use it to julienne kohlrabi and jicama, slice potatoes, carrots, and cucumbers, and it has streamlined my kitchen prep dramatically.

Which is to say, if you are eating a veg-forward Mediterranean diet, knowing how to use a mandoline is a very useful skill. It comes in particularly handy for this pear and fennel salad. Here are some things I’ve discovered when it comes to choosing and using a mandoline:

• Keep it simple: The French mandoline I received as a gift was really nice and really expensive, but it was also really complicated to use. I’ve now replaced it with this much simpler OXO Mandoline which doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but is both user-friendly and dishwasher-safe.
• Read the instructions: Most mandolines come with an instruction booklet, which includes important information about usage and safety. In addition, every mandoline seems to work a little differently, making the instructions well worth the time it takes to read them.
• Go easy on the pressure: One of the challenges I had learning to use a mandoline was that I was applying too much pressure. Most fruits and vegetables require only light pressure and a steady motion for easy, consistent cuts.
• Protect your hands: It sounds like a pain but take it from someone who learned the hard way…you want to be meticulous about protecting your hands from the very sharp blade on your mandoline. Consult your user manual for how to use the guard that comes with your mandoline. Alternatively (or in addition), you can invest in cut-resistant gloves such as these.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the Pear and Fennel Salad:

Baby spinach: I prefer to remove the stems, but this step is totally optional. If your spinach is a little limp, crisp it up with a 5-10 minute soak in a bowl of ice water. Be sure to use a salad spinner to dry it off after you soak it.

Pears: Juicy, fresh pears are one of the highlights of this recipe. I’ve made it with Bosc pears, Bartlett pears, and Anjou pears. Go ahead and use whatever pears you can find that are perfectly ripe and sweet. 

Fennel bulb: Fennel can occasionally be hard to find at the grocery store, though most carry it when it’s available. I’ve discovered that Trader Joe’s almost always has fennel stocked, and at a very reasonable price. If you find fennel with the stems and fronds attached, save some of the fronds for garnish. 

Blanched almonds: Blanched almonds toast up beautifully and don’t burn as readily as slivered almonds. In a pinch, slivered almonds will work too, just skip toasting them (or toast them very carefully, they burn quickly!).

Feta cheese: Feta and pomegranate are one of my favorite flavor pairings, and feta and pear go together well too. You can also play around with other cheeses in place of the feta, such as goat cheese, halloumi, or shaved parmesan.

Pomegranate arils (optional): Pomegranate arils are an acquired taste texture-wise. If you don’t enjoy their seedy texture, go ahead and leave them out. If you can’t find fresh pomegranate, frozen pomegranate arils work too.

For the pomegranate vinaigrette:

Champagne vinegar: Many white wine vinegars are too strong for this dressing. Champagne vinegar is lighter and a bit sweeter, and definitely less tangy. I really like this Champagne vinegar from O Olive Oil, and it’s available at my Kroger supermarket. If you can't find it or don't have it on hand, use apple cider vinegar.

Pomegranate molasses: I buy pomegranate molasses at my local Middle Eastern market. They recommend Sadaf Pomegranate Molasses from California. If you can’t find pomegranate molasses locally, you can make it by boiling 1 ½ cups of pomegranate juice down until it’s syrupy (about ½ cup). I usually add two teaspoons of sugar or honey before boiling to balance the concentrated tartness.

Honey: I use local raw unfiltered honey. Use whatever you have on hand. Maple syrup or sugar work as substitutes, just start with a teaspoon or two and add more as needed.

Dijon mustard: I like Maille Dijon mustard, which has a nice flavor balance.

Extra virgin olive oil: As always, I use a high quality EVOO. Lately I’ve been enjoying Graza Sizzle and Drizzle olive oils.

Fine sea salt: I always use fine sea salt to season my salad dressings. If you use kosher salt, start with half the amount called for and season to taste by the pinch. If you use table salt, start with a quarter of what’s called for.

Prep ahead and storage instructions

Many of the elements of this salad can be prepped ahead, including mixing the vinaigrette, washing the spinach, toasting the almonds, shaving the fennel, and crumbling the feta. Store these ingredients separately in sealed containers, refrigerating the spinach, fennel, and feta.

Hold off on slicing the pears until just before serving. If you must cut them ahead of time, toss them with fresh lemon juice or citric acid to keep them from browning. If you are only holding them for 30-60 minutes, you can toss them with a bit of the dressing instead.

The pomegranate vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. However, the salad deteriorates quickly after it is dressed, I don’t recommend saving leftovers for more than a day.

Serving suggestions

• As a side salad. Pear and fennel salad pairs nicely with robustly-flavored fish, chicken, and meat. Fennel and pomegranate are particularly delicious next to grilled salmon or roast chicken. 
• As part of your holiday dinner menu. Pear and pomegranate are delicious year-round but they are also seasonal favorites in the fall and winter. The colors are also absolutely perfect for the holiday table! Add pear and fennel salad as a beautiful and delicious side dish at your next holiday meal.