Girl Dinner (2)
The series of my super simple and delicious “girl dinners” continues with this amazing fennel and grapefruit salad, served as an accompaniment to a sardine toast.
Hear. Me. Out.
I know fennel is not usually everyone’s cup of tea, but the combination with fresh grapefruit and pomegranate (you may have caught on by now that I love a bit of fruit in my salads) is out of this world. Fresh, bursting with citrus, sweet and a little bitter from the fennel, it just hits all the right spots.
The protein and carb in this dinner are super simple (and so easily available) in the form of super nutritious sardines and sourdough bread. The pickled red onions are totally optional but so worth it. What’s more, these can be easily made in advance and they keep really well chilled in an airtight container. I have a jar available at all times in my fridge and will happily use them for any meal, really.
The salad ingredients will make a little more than you’d need for one person but this can be refrigerated for a day or two without wilting too much.
Sardines are a delicious source of protein and fat and I looove a pat of salted butter on my toast. Should you feel differently (such a shame!) you can replace it with a drop of olive oil or skip it entirely.
The dressing comes together straight into the bowl making for minimal fuss. Overall, your dinner can be ready in 20 minutes tops and leave you with a full belly and a smile on your face.
If you liked this recipe and would love to see what else I have in store for you in my Girl Dinner series, don’t hesitate to subscribe to my newsletter!
Ingredients (serves 1)
1 can (about 100g or 3.75oz) good quality sardines (I used plain here but you can use any flavour you prefer)
2 slices toasted sourdough bread
2 pats of salted butter
freshly ground pepper
For the pickled onions
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vinegar
For the fennel salad
1 small head of fennel
1 small pink grapefruit
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Start by pickling the onion. Add the onion slices, vinegar and salt to a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Make the fennel salad. Thinly slice the fennel. In a large bowl, fillet the pink grapefruit carefully, making sure to let all the juices drip straight into the bowl. Add the oil, salt and pepper to the bowl with the grapefruit slices and juice and mix well to create a dressing.
Add the sliced fennel and mix well.
Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds.
Grand finale. Toast the sourdough bread and butter it. Top the slices with sardines and pickled onions.
Serve with the salad and dig in!