After another potsticker marathon earlier in the week, I felt like a quick and easy-to-prepare lunch today. With the weather taking a turn for the worse we are all more prone to catching a nasty cold so keeping your body’s nutrient stores up seems like a good idea.
I’ve decided to tap into the immense healing potential of fennel, which was revered by the ancient Greeks and Romans. A fennel bulb packs a whole host of nutrients including loads of vitamin C, which is crucial for the proper function of the immune system. I teamed up this do-gooder with juicy Greek oranges. Oranges are rich in vitamin C and polyphenols, which protect against viral infections. Fennel and orange is such a great flavour combination that I was careful about not upstaging it with other ingredients. I added some finely shredded red cabbage and hazelnuts for extra crunch, a touch of chilli for a pleasant tingle and parsley for its fresh taste and amazing nutritional value. Slightly chewy pearl barley helped me to transform this vegan fennel and orange salad into an all-in-one meal. This tasty, fibre-rich lunch will keep your immune system happy and save you from snacking before dinner.
- 1 medium fennel bulb, sliced finely
- 2 oranges, peeled and sliced
- a wedge of red cabbage, shredded finely
- 1 cup of pearl barley, cooked as per instructions and cooled
- a large handful of parsley, chopped finely
- 2 handfuls of hazelnuts, chopped roughly
- 1 medium-hot red chilli, diced finely
DRESSING
- 4 tbsp / 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp / 60 ml lemon juice
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 1 tsp salt (I did not salt pearl barley)
- black pepper, to taste
- In a mixing jug, combine all dressing ingredients and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine all salad ingredients apart from orange slices as they will fall apart during mixing.
- Stir the dressing through the salad, taste, adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with orange slices on top. I think it’s best to quarter the slices before garnishing the salad (I left mine whole as they are more photogenic that way).