Crunchy pear and fennel salad

This is a great fresh and crunchy salad to serve as a side dish or is also good as a main course topped with marinated/cooked chicken, feta or halloumi. We did try it with shaved parmesan once, but it was better without – see what you think. An optional addition is pomegranate which gives a real pop on flavour and colour.

Serves: 3-4 as a side salad, 2-3 as a main course with added meat/cheese

Time to prepare/cook: Approximately 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients; 30 minutes to sit; 5 minutes to assemble the final dish

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Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized fennel bulb

• 1 large pear (Abate is good) or 2 medium-sized pears – make sure they are ripe but still firm

• 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons of good olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh mint

• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

• Handful of pine nuts (or could use other nuts such as walnuts if no pine nuts available)

• 100g of rocket or watercress (maché) or other salad greens/lettuce

• Salt and pepper

• Optional: a squirt of balsamic vinegar

• Optional: ¼ red pepper chopped very finely to add colour or a handful of pomegranate seeds

Method

• Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise and take out the hard core at the bottom, then slice as thinly as you can and put into a salad bowl (could use a mandolin or just be really careful with the knife)

• Cut the pear in quarters lengthways, take out the core/pips and again slice as thinly as you can and add to salad bowl

• Squeeze lemon and add 3 tablespoons to the pear and fennel, mixing gently; keep the rest of the juice aside in case it is needed later

• Chop the herbs finely and add to the salad bowl

• Add the olive oil, a couple of turns of salt and pepper to the bowl and mix gently

• Leave for 30 minutes so the flavours start to blend well – taste a little to see if more lemon or oil is needed to dress the salad

• Add the watercress/rocket/green leaves just before serving and toss together

• Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and add a squirt of balsamic if you would like it