Salmon, Fennel, & Cucumber Salad

I LOVE this salad – bright, fresh, and so easy to make. It is a great salad to present at a brunch or cocktail party because it’s simple to put together and looks beautiful on a nice white platter. You can serve it a number of ways: with bagels and cream cheese; with baked crostini or melba toast; or as is. I’ve been eating a lot of this for lunch and I simply make a big green salad and eat this on the side. The key to this simple dish (as is often the case) is good ingredients – buy high-quality sliced smoked salmon, not the bright red lox you may see in the similar grocery section.

*I use a vegetable peeler to slice both the fennel and cucumber. You can also garnish with diced red onion if you like.

Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (reserve some fennel fronds to garnish)
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced (toss the outer skin peelings)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Olive oil
• S/P
• 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
• 1 – 2 tbsp. capers, drained

Instructions

In a medium bowl, toss the fennel, cucumber, and lemon juice. Add about a tbsp. of olive oil and season with S/P. Let sit while you arrange the salmon on a serving plate. Top the salmon with the salad and sprinkle capers over top. Garnish with bright green fennel fronds and drizzle a dash of olive oil over top. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper and salt.

Serves: 4 (small plate) or 2 (large plate)

Recipe source: Original

Time: 20 minutes