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Spinach Salad with Fennel and Apples

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 3, 2011

Time

25 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 as a First Course

Spinach Salad with Fennel and Apples

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 6 cups)1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch matchsticks¼ cup finely chopped fennel fronds 7 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon very finely minced shallot ¾ teaspoon mayonnaise 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest ¼ teaspoon table salt 4 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Place spinach, fennel, apples, and fennel fronds in large bowl.
  2. In small nonreactive bowl, combine lemon juice, shallot, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and lemon zest. Whisk until mixture appears milky and no lumps remain. Place oil in liquid measuring cup so it is easy to pour. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened.
  3. Pour dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Spinach Salad with Fennel and Apples

Spinach Salad with Fennel and Apples

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

25 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 as a First Course

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 6 cups)
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch matchsticks
¼ cup finely chopped fennel fronds
7 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon very finely minced shallot
¾ teaspoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 6 cups)
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch matchsticks
¼ cup finely chopped fennel fronds
7 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon very finely minced shallot
¾ teaspoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach (about 6 cups)
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and cut into ¼-inch matchsticks
¼ cup finely chopped fennel fronds
7 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon very finely minced shallot
¾ teaspoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Why This Recipe Works

For our sweet and tender spinach salad recipe, we used thinly sliced fennel to break up the spinach leaves, then added fresh fruit for a bright, clean flavor and textural appeal. For our spinach salad’s dressing, we altered the oil-to-acid ratio of our Foolproof Vinaigrette recipe until it was tangy enough to bring out the fruit’s natural acidity.

Instructions

  1. Place spinach, fennel, apples, and fennel fronds in large bowl.
  2. In small nonreactive bowl, combine lemon juice, shallot, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and lemon zest. Whisk until mixture appears milky and no lumps remain. Place oil in liquid measuring cup so it is easy to pour. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened.
  3. Pour dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

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