Fennel, Red Cabbage, Goat Cheese, & Tangelo Salad with Tarragon, Mint, Yogurt, & Lemon Dressing

Do you think I included enough of the ingredients in the title? I think the only ingredients I left out are salt, pepper, and olive oil.

This salad is super crunchy and fresh tasting, and the combination of fennel and citrus works beautifully. The yogurt, tarragon, lemon, and mint dressing is tangy and fresh. This salad is great on its own for lunch, or as a starter for dinner. Perfect for an al fresco dinner party.

Oooh. Forgot.  There are toasted pecans too!


Prior to making this salad, I hadn't had much experience with fennel, but I'm happy about having tried it. It adds such a crunchy sweetness. I definitely recommend trying it if you haven't. A cool part about a salad like this is, unlike a lettuce salad, it will last a few days and stay crunchy, kind of like a slaw. In addition, the fennel, cabbage, and tangelos (not to mention the rest of the ingredients) bring a lot of nutrition to your table.

Fennel, Red Cabbage, Goat Cheese, & Tangelo Salad with Tarragon, Mint, Yogurt, & Lemon Dressing

Adapted from What Katie Ate, an absolutely gorgeous cookbook by Katie Quinn Davies. Four servings. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 3 large tangelos (you can substitute oranges or grapefruit)
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and finely sliced
• 1/4 red cabbage finely sliced
• 7 ounces soft goat cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

• About 1/4 C loosely packed fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• About 1/4 C loosely packed fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1/3 C Greek yogurt
• Salt and pepper to taste

To make the salad:

• Roast the pecans in a 400 degree F oven for 7 to 10 minutes on a baking sheet. Let cool.
• Prepare the dressing by whisking the ingredients together and chilling them in the refrigerator. 
• Peel the tangelos and slice the outside membrane off of the slices. Working with each individual slice, remove the skin and seeds. Save the juices and toss the tangelos slices and remaining juices into a large bowl. You should have segments that are skinless, seedless, and without membranes. 
• Add the fennel, cabbage, and toasted pecans to the bowl.
• Crumble the goat cheese over the salad, drizzle the dressing, and add salt and pepper to taste. 
• Serve. 

I am participating in Eating the Alphabet Healthy Recipe Challenge hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic. This month we are to choose a recipe with a vegetable, fruit, or grain that starts with "E" or "F."  My ingredient this month is Fennel.