Roasted Grapes and Fennel Salad with Pistachios & Mint
A delicious and fresh tasting salad with lots of flavours and textures and ready in just 30 minutes!
If you have never roasted grapes before you are in for a treat, in this recipe I roasted grapes with some olive oil, caraway and fennel seeds and the result is something quite special, sweet and aromatic.
The grape roasting juices doubles up as a dressing with some dijon and new season olive oil – bliss.
I love fennel and had great success this year with my own crop which I used in the salad (how smug?).
Getting Ahead: The grapes and pistachios can be roasted ahead and you can make the dressing ahead too. Fennel discolours (in the same way a cut apple would) though. so its best to slice the fennel just before serving.
Additions: Crumbled goats cheese or blue cheese would go really well with the salad.
Roasted Grapes and Fennel Salad with Pistachios & Mint
Ingredients
- 300 g red grapes – stems removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice more to taste
- 3 fennel bulbs very thinly sliced
- 40 g watercress or rocket roughly chopped
- 15 g mint finely chopped
- 1 cup pistachio nuts roasted and chopped
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220c.
- Mix the grapes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, fennel and caraway seeds together in an oven proof dish, roast for 10 to 15 minutes until the grapes are wrinkly and soft, set aside.
- To make the dressing add the roasted grape juice, about 3 tablespoons to a bowl along with Dijon mustard, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil, whisk to combine. Season to your liking, getting the balance just right.
- Just before serving, toss together the fennel, watercress/rocket and mint. Add half the dressing and toss well to coat, season to taste.
- To serve, tip the salad into a serving plate, top with the toasted pistachios and serve the remaining dressing on the side.
