Jamie Oliver’s Fennel and Radish Salad

Jamie Oliver’s fennel and radish salad is one of the simplest things I make and one of the few I come back to all the time. Five ingredients, shaved paper-thin, dressed with nothing more than lemon juice, good olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

It’s hard to believe that 13 years ago I couldn’t stand fennel. I found the liquorice aniseed flavour intolerable. Now I crunch my way through bulb after bulb, adding a variety of things on the side. Sliced this finely and soaked in ice water, the aniseed softens right down into something fresh and delicate.

Where this recipe comes from

A friend told me about this salad, who had heard about it from a friend of hers. One of those word-of-mouth legendary recipes. I was intrigued enough to go rummaging through my Jamie Oliver cookbooks, and found it in his very first one, The Naked Chef. The one where he looks so very young on the cover.

Two ingredients and a dressing of lemon and olive oil. On paper it shouldn’t be anything much. Together it’s spectacular.

Shave the fennel and radish as thinly as you can

This is the part that matters most. Thick slices give you a chunky, watery salad. Paper-thin shavings give you something light that the dressing clings to.

A mandolin does it best. If you want to cut the effort and have it ready in under five minutes, use a food processor with a very fine slicing disc. A very sharp knife and some patience will get you there too.

How to make fennel and radish crunchy using ice water

Once the vegetables are sliced, they go into a bowl of ice-cold water with ice cubes added. This transforms them into the crispest texture and is what has you crunching your way through the salad with much glee.

Do this right before you want to serve, and drain the slices well so the dressing isn’t diluted.

Work on a 2:1 ratio

Two parts fennel to one part radish. Make as big a salad as you need and keep to that ratio, then add the dressing ingredients to your taste. You may want it more lemony, or you may like more salt.

I only use Maldon salt. It is by far my favourite salt ever, and in a salad like this, you’ll notice the difference.

Use your best olive oil

With five ingredients there is nowhere to hide, so I whip out the finest extra virgin olive oil I have available. It is such an important component here that you really want to use the best you own.

Don’t waste the stalks and fronds

I now use a little of the fennel stalk above the bulb, the light green part. Sliced finely, it’s delicious. I also finely chop a small handful of the fronds to scatter over the top, which adds both flavour and something pretty to look at.

How to serve it

This salad goes with almost everything. It’s lovely with raw or cooked fish and with grilled chicken.

I love to stuff it into toasted wholewheat pitas with leftover grilled salmon or roast chicken. I pile it onto open sandwiches with seed bread and hummus. The other day I turned it into a stunning slaw by adding shredded cabbage and a dollop of my easy homemade mayonnaise.

One reader served it over plain pasta to stretch it further, and said it worked both ways beautifully.

Fresh, citrusy and packed with crunch. Super healthy too.

Try my other version: Fennel, radish and mint salad with lemon and ricotta

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this salad in advance?

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Slice the fennel and radish up to four hours ahead and keep them in the ice water in the fridge. Drain, dry and dress just before serving. Once dressed, the salad starts to soften within about twenty minutes.

Do I need a mandolin?

A mandolin gives the thinnest shavings, but a food processor with a fine slicing disc is faster and works well. A sharp knife will do if you take your time.

Is that dill scattered on top?

No, those are the fennel fronds from the bulb. They look very similar to dill and taste of mild aniseed.

What radishes work best in a radish salad?

Ordinary red radishes are perfect and what I use. Watermelon radishes look beautiful here if you can find them, and breakfast radishes are milder if you find red ones too peppery.

What do I do with the leftover fennel stalks?

Slice the pale green part finely into the salad. Keep the rest for stock, or infuse them in milk for a couple of days and use it to make fennel ice cream, which is what one reader does.

Recipe – serves 4 (adapted from Jamie Oliver)

A few of my other salads with fennel:

Fennel, radish and mint salad with lemon and ricotta

Fennel, tuna, avocado & orange salad

Panzanella salad with white anchovies & fennel

New potato salad with fennel and radish

Moroccan carrot and fennel salad with sultanas and pistachios

Avocado and orange salad with fennel

Fennel, apple and celery salad with walnuts & Parmesan

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