Fennel Apple Salad
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This fennel apple salad with toasted hazelnuts, tossed in a sweet lemon vinaigrette, makes a seasonal, healthy side dish that everyone will LOVE. It’s a breeze to customize and tastes so fresh and delicious.
Published in Nov 2025/updated in Nov 2026
It’s amazing how even in autumn and winter, there are still fruits and vegetables that are lovely and versatile, like budget-friendly apples and fresh, healthy fennel, which is very popular in Northern Italy.
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And this simple, elegant winter salad with apples and fennel showcases these seasonal ingredients beautifully.
The crisp fennel bulb, with its lovely, mild anise flavor, combined with sweet apples and nutty hazelnuts, makes a delightful contrast of flavors and texture.
I’ve kept the vinaigrette quite light so as not to overshadow the ingredients’ freshness with too much olive oil or garlic, creating a festive salad that is flavorful yet light, perfect for both special occasions and everyday meals.
I love how flexible it is, as it can easily be transformed into a more substantial side salad or a holiday salad. So, if you feel like swapping in a different kind of nuts, adding greens, or adding savory cheese like shaved parmesan, please feel free to do so (see more ideas below in the post).
I’ve also written this recipe to be naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, but you’re welcome to add grains or extra protein if you’d like.
Serve it with homemade bread, crispy breadsticks, or warm focaccia, and then share and enjoy. I think you’ll love it!
List of the ingredients
- Fennel bulbs
- Apples
- Hazelnuts
- Dill
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon
- Salt & pepper
How to make Apple Fennel Salad
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Place the vinaigrette ingredients into a glass jar with a lid and shake.
- Slice the crisp apples and fennel, then add them to a large bowl. I highly recommend using a sharp knife or a handy mandoline!
- Pour the dressing over the salad, add hazelnuts and dill, and toss gently to combine. Done!
Recipe Notes
ingredients & Substitutions
Apple: I recommend Pink or Honeycrisp apples or another similar variety, whose crisp texture and sweet flavor will add outstanding balance to the salad. I also love Granny Smith apples; they’re crunchy and have a lovely green color!
Fennel: Look for firm and large fennel bulbs with bright green fronds and no bruising, yellowing, or brown spots.
Lemon dressing: It’s made with extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and honey to add sweetness and texture, helping emulsify the olive oil. Plus, salt and pepper, of course. You can also use cider or white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice.
Nuts: Toasted hazelnuts are an amazingly delicious, nutty, and crunchy garnish for this salad. You can also use toasted or candied walnuts or pecans instead. But don’t skip the crunchy nuts, which add another layer of flavor and texture.
Fresh herbs: Dill enhances the anise and fennel notes, making this salad more aromatic, but fresh chives or tender fennel fronds (finely chopped!) also work well.
Fennel Apple Salad variations
This apple fennel salad is so easy to customize! You can mix in arugula or a couple of finely sliced celery stalks. You can use your favorite toasted or candied nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pine nuts instead of hazelnuts. And for the cheese, shaved Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, goat cheese, or Manchego are great add-ins. Finally, to make it extra special, stir in a handful of sultanas, dried cranberries, or top the salad with pomegranate seeds if you serve it for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
STORAGE TIPS & LEFTOVERS
If you have leftover fennel apple salad, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. You can also make it ahead. Toast the nuts, slice the fennel, and make the dressing the day before, but I recommend cutting the apples and assembling the salad on the day, possibly only a couple of hours before serving.
MORE SALAD RECIPES you’ll love!
- Salad with grapes
- Cabbage salad with apples
- Arugula pear salad
- Winter salad
- Artichoke salad
- Celery and Parmesan salad
- Orange salad
If you make this fennel apple salad or have any questions, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Fennel and Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
- 2 Apples, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon Fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup Hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Honey or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the sliced fennels and apples to a large salad bowl.
- Add olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake until well combined and emulsified. you can also whisk everything in a bowl.
- Add the vinaigrette, dill, and chopped hazelnuts (I use a heaped ¼ cup; use more if you like) to the apple and fennel salad. Toss until well combined, season again to taste if needed, and serve.
