This creamy fennel and cucumber salad is so easy and delicious it is bound to be on heavy rotation all summer!
This is probably my most made salad in the summer time. It's refreshing and light and keeps for a few days in the fridge.
If you've never tried fennel, or raw fennel, prepare to be delighted!
All you need are a few simple ingredients.
- Fresh fennel
- English cucumber
- White onion, or any sweet onion
- Sour cream, plain, high fat yogurt or dairy free alternative
- Fresh dill
- Fresh lemon juice
- Sugar
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
How to make it
This salad couldn't be easier to put together. Thinly slice cucumber and onion. Cut out the core and thinly slice fennel. My favourite tool for this job is this Benriner Mandolin. You can also use a sharp knife and slice as thinly as possible.
Place all the vegetables in a bowl and add 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to coat and let sit for 30 mins. This will release the water from the cucumber, soften the fennel, and mellow the onion flavour. Strain mixture in a fine mesh sieve.
Mix together all the other ingredients. Add to vegetables and stir well until everything is coated in the sour cream mixture.
How to store it
This salad will keep for several days in an airtight container. It will loose a bit of it's crunch as it sits but is still delicious!
Dairy free alternatives
If you can use lactose free products there are good lactose free options on the market. For non-dairy alternatives check your local health food store, or section at your supermarket, for dairy free sour creams or chose a dairy free yogurt and add a tablespoon of extra lemon juice to add tang.
Other recipes for you to enjoy
- CRISPY PAN SEARED SALMON WITH FRIED CAPER VINAIGRETTE
- MUSTARD AND HERB GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
- HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN THIGHS
- SHAVED ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH CREAMY PARMESAN DRESSING
- CUMIN AND LIME COLESLAW
📖 Recipe
Creamy Fennel and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Fennel bulb plus 2 tablespoon roughly chopped fennel fronds, reserved
- 1 English cucumber
- ½ large white or sweet onion
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ½ cup sour cream, full fat plain yogurt, or dairy free alternative
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Halve, core, and thinly slice fennel bulb (preferably on a mandoline) Place in large bowl. Reserve 2 tbsp. of fennel fronds.
- Thinly slice cucumber and onion and add to above.
- Sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Stir well and let stand for 30 mins. Drain over a sieve and discard liquid.
- Add sour cream, dill, fennel fronds, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and ground black pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Amanda Dexter says
This is my absolute favourite salad right now. I've made it 3 or 4 times already. I don't include the dill because my husband hates it, so I go a little heavy on the fennel fronds and it's still delicious. It's a great salad for winter, too, because all the ingredients are easily available. Thanks, Andrea!
Karlene says
Hi there, was going to make this salad but have never known how to cut or use fennel. I read the instructions but and I using just the bulb inside? The stems out on it am I using any of it are those those fronds you talk about. Didn’t want to waste the whole fennel. Thank you
Andrea says
Hi Karlene!
Cut off the stems and use the bulb only. You can peel or cut off any brown spots. You want to save some of the fronds to chop and add to the salad. Hope that helps! enjoy!
Pauline Bath says
I made this salad for the family on Father’s Day. It was such a hit. I was looking forward to having the leftovers but there was none. 😋
Jackie says
Made this to accompany the salmon with caper vinaigrette, everyone loved it!