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Kohlrabi and fennel salad

By: John Gregory-Smith

Published: 9 Aug 19
Updated: 18 Mar 24

The beauty of this fennel salad is you can keep it in the fridge until needed. Just drain and toss with the dressing at the last minute. Refreshing, delicate and completely addictive.

For more ideas with fragrant fennel, take a look at our collection of fennel recipes.

Easy
July 2019

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Hands-on time 15 min, plus chilling

The beauty of this fennel salad is you can keep it in the fridge until needed. Just drain and toss with the dressing at the last minute. Refreshing, delicate and completely addictive.

For more ideas with fragrant fennel, take a look at our collection of fennel recipes.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 177kcals
Fat: 13.5g (2g saturated)
Protein: 4.2g
Carbohydrates: 6.8g (6.4g sugars)
Fibre: 5.6g
Salt: 0.1g

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Ingredients

2 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks (see Know-how below)
2 fennel bulbs, finely shredded using a veg peeler or mandoline
Bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced
About 12 ice cubes
Juice 2 lemons
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp white miso paste (from Waitrose, Ocado & souschef.co.uk)
1 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Large bunch mixed fresh herbs, such as dill, flatleaf parsley and mint, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (a mix of white and black if you can)
Handful edible flowers (from Sainsbury’s, farmers’ markets and online from Ocado)

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Method

Put the kohlrabi, fennel and spring onions in a large bowl with the ice cubes and just enough cold water to cover. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Whisk the tahini with the miso, maple syrup, juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper (see Make Ahead).
Pick over the herb leaves to remove any discoloured/dead herbs and thick stalks, then roughly chop, reserving a few whole leaves to garnish (see tips). Drain the kohlrabi, fennel and spring onions, making sure you remove any ice cubes, then put in a salad spinner and spin until completely dry. (Alternatively toss in a clean tea towel a few times to dry.)

Toss the vegetables in a bowl with the tahini dressing and chopped herbs. Taste, adding more lemon juice or seasoning as needed. Pile onto a platter or on individual plates, scatter with sesame seeds, then finish with the edible flowers and any remaining herbs.

Recipe from July 2019 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 177kcals
Fat: 13.5g (2g saturated)
Protein: 4.2g
Carbohydrates: 6.8g (6.4g sugars)
Fibre: 5.6g
Salt: 0.1g

delicious. tips

Edible flowers add elegance, colour and flavour, but if you can’t find them add whole herb leaves or fennel fronds. These small touches make a big difference to how the finished dish looks. Caring about details like these is a game-changer.
Make the dressing up to a day ahead, cover and chill. Toss with the veg to serve.
Kohlrabi is from the cabbage family. It’s about the size of a small grapefruit and similar to a turnip but slightly lighter and sweeter, with a pleasing crunch when raw.

Chilling raw vegetables and salad in an ice bath gives them extra crunch. Food stylists and chefs do this to help preserve salad leaves and herbs and make them less floppy or to revive a tired-looking lettuce. Georgina added lemon juice to the water to stop kohlrabi and fennel from discolouring.