This pretty-in-pink Red Cabbage and Fennel Salad is full of beautiful colours and delicious flavours it is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a quick weekday lunch or a fancy dinner party.
This is an impressive salad to make for a dinner party. The crunch of the cabbage, the aromatic fennel and dill, with the crunch of the hazelnuts and the pretty pink raspberry mayo, are a superb combination.
I came across the dressing for this salad completely by accident by mixing up the raspberry vinegar and the red wine vinegar. What a great surprise!
You Will Need
How to Make This Salad
Step 1 – Prep Your Red Cabbage
Wash the outside your cabbage well, remove the outer damaged leaves, cut it in half and remove the core.
Shred finely using a mandoline / v-slicer, your food processor with the slicing attachment or with a very sharp chef’s knife.
Place the shredded red cabbage in a colander and rinse well.
Step 2 Prep the Fennel and Dill
Cut off the bottom of the fennel bulb, then peel off any wilted or damaged outer layers. Keep part or all of the stems on as an additional safety guard for your fingers (cut off the fennel fronds to chop up later). Rinse well to remove any dirt.
Shred finely using a mandoline / v-slicer, or with a very sharp chef’s knife.
If you are not making up the salad straight away place your red cabbage and your fennel in separate bowls and cover with cold water, keep them in the fridge for half an hour as this will make them crisper and will remove some of the musky cabbage smell.
OR
Leave them in the fridge overnight if you are going to assemble your salad the following day. Then drain in a colander and run some cold water over them to rinse away the cabbagey smell. Strain them well before using.
Chop the reserved fennel fronds to get ¼ cup otherwise wash and chop your dill instead.
Step 3 – Blitz Your Raspberry Mayo
Add all your raspberry mayo ingredients to a small food processor or high-speed blender, season with salt and pepper then blitz until combined.
Step 4 – Assemble Your Salad
Place the drained fennel and the red cabbage, the dill, the hazelnuts in a large mixing bowl, add the mayo, season with salt and pepper.
Then massage the dressing through your salad until it is evenly distributed and well combined.
Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter with the additional hazelnuts and chopped raspberries to garnish, then serve.
To allow the flavours to develop you can cover and refrigerate for half an hour if you like.
Serving Suggestions 🍽
This oh-so scrumptious red cabbage salad with its pretty in pink dressing is best served with white meats such as chicken or pork, is great with ham or even a whole baked fish.
Try it with…
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Mandolin or V-Slicer
- Small Food Processor or High-speed Blender
Ingredients
- 500 grams red cabbage (approximately 5 cups shredded and tightly packed)
- 460 grams fennel (approximately 2 medium bulbs)
- ¼ cup fennel fronds or dill leaves1 (tightly packed)
- ½ cup hazelnuts
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper
- ⅔ cup whole egg mayonnaise2 (I like S&W or Hellmans)
- 4 tbsps raspberry vinegar
- ½ cup raspberries
- 2 tbsps hazelnuts (roast for extra flavour)
- 2 tbsps raspberries (fresh or frozen to garnish)
Instructions
- Wash and trim your red cabbage and fennel. Keeping them both separate slice them both thinly on mandoline / v-slicer or with a knife. Place the fennel in a bowl and cover with water until you are ready to assemble your salad.
- Cut off the fennel fronds and chop until you have ¼ cup alternatively use some dill if the fronds on your fennel are sparse.
- Add all your raspberry mayo ingredients in a small food processor or high-speed blender season then blitz until combined.
- Place the drained fennel, the remaining salad ingredients and raspberry mayo in a large mixing bowl, season and then mix until well combined.
- Arrange your salad in a salad bowl, scatter the extra raspberries and hazelnuts on top then serve.
Notes
- Whether or not you use dill will depend on whether or not your fennel bulbs have fronds.
- If you are feeling adventurous – try our homemade mayo recipe.
