We all know it’s important to eat our green vegetables, but there’s only so much kale a person can, or should, ingest. This fall, try trading your leafy greens for green beans. Fennel might be new to you, but this recipe only takes a few minutes to put together and the result will re-awaken your hunger for green and crunchy foods. Pair it with grilled chicken, cubed tofu, or white beans to round out the dish as a meal.
Fennel, Green Bean, and Olive Salad
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side dish
Ingredients:
- 1 fennel bulb (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 pound green beans (a little more than a handful)
- 1/3 sheet of nori – seaweed (a handful of torn pieces)
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove (sliced)
- 1 tsp sea salt/coarse salt
- 3 green pitted olives
- a sprinkle of chopped fennel frond
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Directions:
Cut the top stalks off of the fennel bulb. Remove the bruised outer leaves. Cut the fennel in half (from end to where stalks grew). Remove the triangle shaped core of the bulb and discard. Thinly slice remaining fennel. Set aside. Blanch or steam green beans until tender, but still crunchy. Rinse the green beans with cold water. Add lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to a bowl and whisk until emulsified. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl, toss, and plate. Garnish with fennel tops.
Carlene Thomas RDN,LD is a dietitian nutritionist and healthy living blogger on Healthfully Ever After.
