Green apple, fennel and witloof salad

Tam West

This nutritious salad is packed with healthy goodness — raw crunchy fennel and apple, sweet sugar snaps and witloof. Witloof is a unique-looking white/yellow torpedo-shaped lettuce, also known as endive, chicory or belgian endive. It has a delicious, slightly bitter, nutty flavour. Look for firm, crisp compact heads with yellow tips.

Witloof salad

2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 clove	Garlic
1 cup	Sourdough bread, torn into chunks
1	Witloof, sliced (Main)
1	Granny Smith apple, sliced (Main)
1 stick	Celery, sliced
½ cup	Celery leaves, picked from the inside
1 cup	Sugar-snap peas (Main)
1	Fennel bulb, sliced, plus 1 Tbsp fennel tips (Main)
100 g	Goat's cheese, soft (Main)
¼ cup	Toasted walnuts, chopped (Main)

Cider vinegar dressing

1 Tbsp	Apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp	Olive oil

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a fry pan with squashed garlic clove with skin still on, add sourdough and stir until golden brown. Drain on paper towels then season with salt and crushed black pepper.
2. Gently toss together witloof, apple, celery and leaves, sugar snaps and fennel. Arrange on a platter then sprinkle over crumbled goat's cheese, walnuts, sourdough croutons and fennel tips.
3. Whisk together the cider vinegar and olive oil, season to taste with a little salt and pour over the cider vinegar dressing.

More Spring salads from Geoff

• Potato and roast shallot salad
• Green salad with pickled onions