Caramelized Onion and Fennel Spinach Salad on Puff Pastry
A tasty and healthy side dish that pairs well with grilled chicken and grilled meats. This salad is a light, refreshing and nutritious side dish that will leave you craving more. It only takes half an hour to prepare and tastes divine. If you want a more hearty meal, add a little roasted chicken, fennel and onions to a plate.
Ingredients
- 1 Puff Pastry Sheet thawed
- 1 Egg whisked
- 1 TBS Butter
- 1 cup Onion julienne cut
- 1/2 cup Fennel thinly sliced
- 1 TBS Ginger minced
- 4 cups Spinach fresh and washed
- Salt Pepper
- Sliced Apples optional garnish
Instructions
- Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a floured surface. Cut in four quarters. (Optional: Using a jagged edge pastry cutter, cut the edges and place on top of the edges as shown in the top picture, to create a border.)
- Whisk an egg with 1 tsp salt and brush lightly on top of the puff pastry. Use a fork and score the dough (which means to poke holes in the dough). Bake for at least 6 minutes, until golden brown.
- In a large saute pan on medium heat add the TBS of butter. When melted add the onions and fennel. Caramelize for at least 8 minutes on medium heat until translucent. Add the ginger and stir for at least three minutes until aromatic.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the spinach, salt and pepper and toss with tongs until the spinach is fulling mixed with the onions and fennel. The warm pan will slightly wilt the spinach.
- Place salad on each puff pastry square and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
This is a great meal that I had a few days in a row. I had the puff pastry squares already made and the salad is quick to make in a pan. This was a great light lunch for myself, but would also be great served as the ’salad course’ during a meal. The light and crispy puff pastry was a perfect base for this salad and I used the same jagged edge idea as I did in the edible cheese board I made. The salad was simple, yet a great combination of flavors. Fennel and ginger were made for each other.