They say never to make a new recipe for company. They should also say: never make a new recipe for a soup that is normally served as a first course as a main course for company. Because if you do, you may find yourself with not quite enough soup for dinner. Serves six as a first course should be enough for four for a main course, right? Wrong.
When faced with what did not look quite enough soup for four adults, I looked around in desperation for something to bulk up on my dinner. My eyes landed on the three bulbs of fennel that I was planning to shave into a salad. Could I turn them into something more substantial? Of course I could. Could I do it in twenty minutes? I had to try. And that’s when the clock started running on my own personal episode of “Chopped.”
First, I looked in the refrigerator. Orange: a natural combination with fennel. Grab one of those. Maybe some red onion for heat? Sure. Next, open the pantry. Can I pump up this salad with some grains? What about orzo? Nope, takes too long. But maybe…bulgar? Yes, bulgar. Ready in the time it takes to boil water, plus five minutes to soak.
Fennel, orange, red onion and bulgar. It actually sounds like something someone might put together even if she were not desperate. All the ingredients hail from the Mediterranean. There is a nice balance between the sweetness of the orange and the sharpness of the onion; the crunch of the fennel and the chewiness of the bulgar. It actually sounds…good.
Well, some recipes are inspired by dishes I eat in restaurants; some are inspired by things I read. And some, well, some are just acts of sheer desperation.
But as an act of desperation, this salad punches above its weight. Since that fateful night when I served this salad alongside a roasted red pepper soup that actually turned out to be just enough for four, I have made it again just for me and my husband to enjoy. And why not? This salad is healthy, refreshing and a snap to prepare. With the benefit of more time and less terror, I have refined the dressing from a basic lemon-juice-and-olive-oil into a sweet, orange-flavored vinaigrette that coats the vegetables and seeps into the warm bulgar, adding sweetness to every bite.
And now is the perfect time of year to experiment with fennel. This mild, licorice-flavored bulb is in season in the fall and it works well both raw in salads and braised in liquid, when it becomes sweet and even more mild. Just know that you will only be able to use a fraction of the large bulb you see in the store, so buy more than you think you need.
With citrus fruits also just coming into season, this salad is something you and your guests can enjoy all winter long.
- 3 bulbs fennel
- 1 orange
- ½ red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup cooked bulgar wheat (about ½ cup raw)
- 2 TB sherry vinegar
- 2 TB orange juice
- 1 TB honey
- 3 TB extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bring a small pot of water to boil. Remove from heat. Soak the bulgar in the water for five minutes. Drain.
- To prepare the fennel, cut off the stalks and the bottom, reserving some of the green fronds for garnish. Remove the tough outer layer. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and remove the woody core.
- Zest the orange and then remove the peel. Slice the orange horizontally and break the slices into wedges with your fingers.
- Combine the fennel, red onion, orange, bulgar and orange zest in a large serving bowl. (Can be made ahead up to this point.)
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the orange juice, honey and sherry vinegar. While whisking, pour the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and bulgar in the bowl. Toss to combine. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
