I am dreaming of Spring and this apple fennel slaw is taking me there! It is fresh and vibrant and so green! It is the perfect side salad, or my favorite, the perfect sandwich topping. We’ll get into all those details later.

Oh! And I forgot to mention that the slaw is tossed with a white balsamic vinaigrette that is just as vibrant as the salad and really makes these ingredients pop!

let’s talk about fennel

OK if you are skeptical of fennel just HOLD ON. I was convinced I hate fennel. When I was younger, we went to an Indian restaurant and I had fennel seed on the way out, which tastes just like black licorice. And I HATE black licorice. So since that day I have had a burning hate for fennel. But, fresh fennel is so much different! If you eat fresh fennel plain, you can taste an ever-so-slight black licorice flavor, but it is so subtle that this licorice hating gal could even handle it. Plus, when you get dressing on it you can’t taste the licorice flavor at all.

If you’ve never had fresh fennel, it tastes fresh and crunchy like celery, but has a slightly sweet and citrusy flavor! It pairs perfectly with the cabbage and green onion in this salad.

ingredients needed for apple fennel slaw

• 1 small head of cabbage
• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 green apples, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinaigrette
• 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
• salt and pepper, to taste

The ingredient list for this slaw is minimal, but it’s still packed with flavor! Such a win-win in my opinion.

my favorite sandwich to pair this apple fennel slaw with

I love adding this slaw to sandwiches! It gives such a nice crunch. I first got the idea for this slaw from a sandwich I had in London — it had ciabatta bread, truffle mayo, slow roasted pulled pork, and an apple fennel slaw. The sandwich was life changing, to say the least. So, my favorite sandwich to put this slaw on is very similar to that one in London!

I made a couple loaves of ciabatta bread (but any kind of bread will work — I think focaccia would be particularly yummy), sliced them and lathered on some honey garlic mayo (1/4 cup mayo + 1/2 tsp garlic + 1 tsp honey), added a big pile of slow roasted pulled pork (cooked low and slow in a dutch oven), then topped everything with my apple fennel slaw! It will not disappoint. The place that sold the sandwich in London is called The Black Pig in Borough Market.

my favorite kitchen gear

In my video of this slaw, I used all my favorite Material Kitchen stuff. Their cutting boards are seriously my favorite and I use them every day!! I also love their knives and bowls. Basically all their stuff is top notch and beautiful! I’ve linked all my faves here so you can get them too!

other recipes you will love

• winter panzanella salad
• sweetgreen harvest bowl
• pear, apple, and celery salad
• butternut squash, kale, and farro salad