Shaved Apple, Fennel and Arugula Salad

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This refreshing shaved apple, fennel and arugula salad is tossed with candied pecans, Parmesan, basil and a lemon shallot vinaigrette.

Ok, this really is just the loveliest salad! ♡

I made it the other day to serve for dinner with cacio e pepe and everyone around the table absolutely adored it. So I’ve now added it to our Thanksgiving lineup and will probably bring it along to a few Christmas parties too since it’s so festive and seasonal and easy breezy — everything I love in a green salad this time of year!

I pulled out my mandoline (along with this safety glove, which you should definitely own too) so that I could shave the apple, fennel and Parmesan paper-thin, which gives this salad the loveliest airy, delicate texture. Then I added in a handful of candied pecans for crunch and fresh basil for a burst of aromatics, and tossed everything with a lemony shallot vinaigrette. It ends up having the most refreshing balance of sweet and savory flavors. And as a bonus, the ingredients all hold up well in the fridge, in case you’d like to prep most of the salad beforehand (see tips below).

Feel free to add in a protein (chicken, bacon, shrimp, etc) or swap in another kind of fruit or cheese or nuts that you might love best here. The recipe itself is easy to customize with whatever you may have on hand. I just recommend adding it to your list soon because it’s perfect for this time of year! Enjoy!

Shaved Apple, Fennel and Arugula Salad Ingredients

Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this salad recipe:

• Apple: I recommend either Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples (or another similar variety), whose crisp texture and sweet-yet-slightly-tart flavor will add great balance to the salad. I used a mandoline to cut the apple into very thin slices, but you could opt for larger chunks if you prefer.
• Fennel: Fresh fennel, with its crunchy texture and subtle licorice flavor, adds a nice bit of complexity to the salad. Again, I highly recommend using the mandoline or a sharp knife to cut the fennel into paper-thin slices so that it blends seamlessly into the light salad.
• Arugula: Fresh baby arugula is my favorite green to use here, giving each bite a delicious pop of fresh peppery flavor.
• Parmesan: The salty, umami flavor of Parmesan perfectly balances the sweetness of the apple and pecans and brings out the best of the fennel’s delicate flavor. I went ahead and used the mandoline to shave a block of Parmesan, since I already had it out, or you’re welcome to shave it with a peeler or grate it with a Microplane. I just highly recommend using freshly-grated Parm (versus the powdered stuff) to get the most robust flavor.
• Candied pecans: I love the sweet crunch that candied pecans (or whatever variety of candied nuts) add to this salad. This is my favorite easy recipe to make homemade candied pecans, or you’re welcome to opt for store-bought instead (Trader Joe’s has some great options!).
• Basil: Julienned fresh basil adds a lovely, slightly-sweet layer of aromatic flavor to the salad and plays really well with the fennel.
• Shallot vinaigrette: Then finally, we’ll dress the salad with my favorite simple shallot vinaigrette, made with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh shallot, garlic, Dijon, salt and pepper.

Recipe Tips

Here are a few additional tips to help make this salad recipe:

• Use a cut-resistant glove with a mandoline. I love using a mandoline to slice the apples, fennel and Parmesan paper-thin for this salad, but highly (highly!) recommend picking up a cut-resistant glove to use with your mandoline if you don’t have one already. This $8 glove on Amazon makes using a mandoline (or doing lots of knife work) so much safer. Highly recommend.
• If you don’t own a mandoline, use a sharp knife. As the saying goes, a sharp knife is a safe knife. If you opt to use a knife instead of a mandoline for all of this slicing, please just be sure to sharpen your chef’s knife beforehand. You can also use a peeler to shave the Parmesan if you’d like.
• Slice the apple last. In order to prevent the apple from oxidizing and browning, it’s best to slice the apple just before serving the salad. You’re welcome to prep all of the other ingredients up to 4 hours beforehand (refrigerating the salad ingredients in a large bowl, while keeping the dressing in a separate container) if you’d like. Then you can slice and add the apple and toss everything together just before serving.

Recipe Variations

Here are a few more fun variations that you’re welcome to try with this arugula salad recipe:

• Add a protein. Add cooked chicken, shrimp, salmon, prosciutto or bacon for extra protein.
• Add grains. Add cooked quinoa or farro for extra heartiness.
• Add shaved Brussels sprouts. Use thinly-shaved Brussels sprouts in place of half of the arugula.
• Use different greens. Use baby kale, baby spinach, radicchio or your favorite greens in place of (or mixed with) the arugula.
• Use different cheese. Use crumbled goat cheese, feta cheese, or gorgonzola in place of the Parmesan.
• Use different fruit. Use sliced pears, figs, orange slices, pomegranate arils or grapes in place of the apples.
• Use a different vinaigrette. Use an apple cider vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette in place of the shallot vinaigrette.

More Arugula Salad Recipes To Try!

Looking for more arugula salad recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:

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