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Lemony Shaved Fennel Asparagus Salad with White Beans

5 from 10 reader reviews
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6
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Ingredients

  • 1 small shallot, finely minced (⅛ cup minced shallot)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 small fennel bulbs (or 1 large)
  • 12 thick asparagus spears
  • 5 ounces (142 grams) baby arugula
  • 1 ½ cups cooked navy beans, drained and rinsed (from one 15oz can)
  • 1 ½ cups cooked farro (from ¾ cup dry grains)
  • ¼ cup chopped chives, plus extra
  • ⅓ cup shelled and salted pistachios, finely ground/minced
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • fresh lemon zest, optional

Instructions

  • Start the dressing. In a medium bowl, combine the minced shallot, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. Make sure that the shallots are covered in the liquid. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  • Using a mandolin, finely slice the fennel. You should end up with about 3 cups of sliced fennel.
  • Snap the tough ends off of the asparagus. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into thin ribbons. You should end up with about 2 cups of shaved asparagus.
  • Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the shaved fennel, asparagus, arugula, navy beans, farro, chives, half of the pistachios, and some salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • Finish the dressing. To the shallots, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar, add salt and pepper, the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil. Whisk to combine.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad. Using tongs, toss to combine and evenly coat in the dressing right before serving. The white beans and farro inevitably settle to the bottom of the bowl, so I like to dig them out and get some on top of the salad. Garnish with the remaining pistachios and extra chopped chives. Grate lemon zest over the top if you like.

Equipment

  • Mandoline Slicer
  • Vegetable Peeler

Recipe Notes

  • I used to remove the core of my fennel before finely shaving for salads. One time, I just left the core intact and the salad was still great! Because it’s shaved so thin, you don’t really notice.
  • Thicker asparagus spears are ideal for shaving down with a vegetable peeler.
  • I used the 10-minute farro from Trader Joe's to make the prep go a bit faster.
  • To make this gluten-free, I'd opt for cooked wild rice in place of the farro because it has similar nutty and chewy characteristics.
  • For a nut-free option, I’d grind up roasted and salted pumpkin seeds in place of the pistachios.
  • I grind up my pistachios in a mini food processor. You want the pieces super fine so that you get their salty/toasty flavour in every bite!
My shaved fennel asparagus salad is bright with a lemony dressing and robustly satisfying with the addition of white beans and farro. Crushed pistachios, arugula, and chives add texture and even more flavour. This main course salad is ready in 30 minutes!