Fennel has always been valued for its ability to soothe digestive troubles. It helps to relieve water retention and regulate female hormones. It’s one of the most underrated vegetables, and if you’re not already cooking with it, you absolutely should be. It has a distinct aniseed flavour and can be eaten raw, sautéed, roasted, or even added to soups and sauces.
If you are preparing raw fennel, we suggest thinly shaving the bulb with a mandoline, and removing any tough core pieces. Then, marinate it in lemon juice, olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt. This crisp, thinly sliced fennel is delicious on its own or in a larger salad.
In this recipe, we tossed marinated fennel slices in a simple orange juice and olive oil dressing and added fresh parsley, walnuts, orange segments and blanched green beans for flavour, texture and nutritional value. You can enjoy this dish as a side, or as a light main course – perfect for lunch.
Walnuts complement the flavours in this recipe and are a rich source of ALA and omega-3 fatty acids. And did you know that green beans are actually legumes and not beans? Green beans are good source of vitamin C and folate.
Wash the green beans and trim the stalks. Bring 700ml water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Place beans into the water and boil for 3 minutes. Check to see if they are 'al dente'. Drain the beans and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water. Leave for 5 -7 minutes and then drain. Ensure they are dry before adding to the recipe.
Peel the orange skin using a paring knife or similar. Make a cut along the segments on both sides right along the membrane. And then release the orange right into the bowl. Continue like this working all the way around the fruit. Prepare the orange into segments and place in a medium mixing bowl with, any residual juice from removing the segments.
Add the remaining ingredients and gently mix. Fold in the French beans. Check the seasoning
