Warm Fennel, Cabbage, and Celery Slaw
with
Bacon Lardons, Poached Egg, Peas, and Scallions
Garlic Whole Grain Croutons
I just blinked an eye and my fennel bush grew four feet. And those umbels of petite yellow florets seemed to suddenly appear too. I didn’t want to harvest the bulbs – the plant is so pretty in the garden with its bright feathery leaves – but I did want to use those fronds and flowers in a dish. It turns out that my friends at Food Network are featuring all kinds of SLAW this week, so I started with fennel and cabbage (from the farmers market) as a base and built this delightful salad from there.
Unlike most slaws, it is served slightly warm. And there are many flavors and textures in the dish that harmonize with each other. It is flexible too – going low-carb or gluten-free? Just leave out the croutons. Vegetarians can omit the bacon. Everyone can still be happy. Guaranteed.
Fennel Cabbage Slaw Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on bias
- 3 slices bacon, cut into lardons
- 1 T. red wine vinegar
- mayonnaise, to coat
- poached eggs
- frozen petite peas
- scallions, sliced
- fennel fronds and fennel flowers
- whole grain croutons
Method:
Cook peas in simmering water for four minutes. Shock in an ice bath to retain bright color. Drain and set aside. Let come to room temperature.
Cook bacon in a wok pan until medium-crisp. Remove to a paper towel and keep warm. Remove most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about a teaspoon. Over medium heat, add vinegar to the pan, then add fennel and celery. Cook for one minute. Turn off the heat. Let cool slightly. Toss in the cabbage. Add enough mayonnaise to coat the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembly:
Arrange fennel fronds on a plate. Place warm slaw over the fennel fronds. Sprinkle with bacon lardons, peas, and scallions. Top with a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fennel flowers (which have a surprisingly bright licorice flavor).
Garlic Whole Grain Croutons:
Brush pieces of whole grain bread generously with olive oil on both sides. Toast until crisp. Rub a raw garlic clove over the warm toast. Cut the toast into cubes and place about the slaw mixture.
Food Network
featuring
Slaw
Summer Soiree is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite summer dishes. Be sure to check out the Pinterest Board with over 300,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair!
And if this Fennel and Cabbage Slaw with Bacon, Egg, Peas got you in the mood for all things slaw – you might enjoy taking a peek at other cabbage-centric recipes from some fabulous bloggers below…
Feed Me Phoebe: Asian Braised Cabbage Slaw with Black Rice and Arugula
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Red and Green Slaw
Creative Culinary: Coleslaw with Warm Bacon Dressing
Healthy Eats: 7 Healthy Slaws for Every Palate
Virtually Homemade: Easy Asian Slaw with Roasted Chicken
Napa Farmhouse 1885: The Best Slaw Recipes
Taste with the Eyes: Fancy Fennel and Cabbage Slaw with Bacon, Egg, Peas
The Cultural Dish: Mac Nut Slaw (Hawaiian Cole Slaw)
Homemade Delish: Jalapeno and Peach Slaw
Daisy at Home: Fresh Vegetable Slaw
The Mom 100: Creamy Blue Cheese and Bacon Coleslaw
FN Dish: It’s Slaw Good: 6 Must-Make Summertime Slaws
Lori, trust you to make even a slaw irresistibly attractive! And moreish and a full lunch meal which will be trialled tomorrow when a few girlfriends with a desire for slim waistlines come to call! Thanks!! And I find fennel fronds absolutely irresistible when plating . . .
Oh Lori! That looks amazing! Beautiful, and delicious… Yum!!