Summer is here and the temperatures have been rising. Check out this light and refreshing dish from Paulding & Company— a full catering kitchen based in San Francisco, founded by mother-daughter duo Tracy and Terry Paulding. Paulding & Company’s Shaved Fennel, Cucumber, Beet and Grapefruit Salad is the perfect addition to any celebration or special event this summer. This recipe makes 6 delicious servings!
Shaved Fennel, Cucumber, Beet and Grapefruit Salad Recipe
3 medium golden beets
2 medium bulbs fennel
2 Persian or 1 English cucumber
2 medium grapefruits
1 head Belgian endive
Dressing:
1 Tbs. finely minced shallot
1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp. anise seed, lightly crushed
1 Tbs. Sherry vinegar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Juice from cutting the grapefruits
1/4 cup or more to taste olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Trim the beets and steam them over simmering water until tender. Let cool then peel (the skins should rub off). Cut into slices or small wedges. Wash fennel bulb and trim off stalk and any brown spots. Slice the fennel into very thin slivers, preferably with a mandoline. Use the same mandoline to slice the cucumber very thin, then salt the cucumber and let drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze it dry and combine with the fennel. Remove and reserve a teaspoon of grapefruit zest, then peel and remove all the white pith from the grapefruit. Slice into “supremes” by cutting between the membranes, and set aside, catching any juice (squeeze the membrane too!) to add to the dressing. Toast the anise seed in a dry frying pan and grind in the mortar and pestle.
Make dressing by combining zest, minced shallot, dry mustard, toasted anise seed, vinegar and lemon juice, grapefruit juice you’ve accumulated, plus salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add oil and stir. Add two tablespoons of the dressing to the beets, and let them marinate until you put the salad together.
Toss together the fennel and cucumber, beet wedges and grapefruit sections. Dress with as much of the reserved dressing as you need, to moisten it. Turn into a nice bowl, and decorate with the endive leaves.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site.
What a wonderful salad!! I love all these ingredients, it never occurred to me to put them together in a salad – the dressing is perfection!
I think my Mom would really like this. I’ll be passing it along!
I love the presentation. With the endive leaves decorations the plate the salad looks like the middle of,an opened flower. I also like this combination of grapefruit with the vegetables, It is so refreshing.
This recipe looks so good to me – I love the ingredients and like the combination of fruit and vegetables. I
Interesting combination of flavors and textures.
Yum! This looks delicious and refreshing, what a wonderful summer salad. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I love beets and could eat them raw, plain, and have! Not a fan of grapefruit, but fruits in general are not my friends, or my gut’s friends I should say. There’s enough going on with this salad so you don’t miss them though.
This sounds great for a summer lunch I have not had grapefruit in years.