Recipe: Fennel and leeks with roasted onion vinaigrette

Dietitian's tip: Here is a great make-ahead salad, as the vegetables can be cooked and the dressing prepared up to a day in advance. This flavorful salad may be served at room temperature or chilled. Assemble just before serving.

 

Ingredients

Directions

Split the leeks in half lengthwise to within 1 1/2 inches of the root end, leaving the root intact. Discard the outer leaves and rinse the leeks well.

In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine the stock, vinegar, water, oregano and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and leeks; the liquid may not cover. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool in the pot, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the poaching liquid.

While the vegetables are cooling, preheat the oven to 400 F. Coat the onion wedges with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the onion wedges over and bake until browned and caramelized, about 15 minutes longer. Set aside to cool.

Strain the reserved poaching liquid and pour 1 cup into a small saucepan. (The remaining liquid may be reserved for soup or another use.) Bring to a boil and cook uncovered over medium-high heat until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a blender or food processor, combine the roasted onion with the reduced poaching liquid and mustard. Process until smooth. (Add 1 tablespoon water if the mixture is too thick to process.) With the motor running, add the remaining 5 teaspoons olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified.

Cut each leek and fennel half crosswise into 8 slices (or cut thinner if desired). Divide the vegetables evenly among individual plates. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette on each salad. Garnish with the chopped olive and fennel leaves.

Nutritional Analysis

(per serving)

Calories	97	Cholesterol	1 mg
Protein	2 g	Sodium	108 mg
Carbohydrate	11 g	Fiber	3 g
Total fat	4 g	Potassium	345 mg
Saturated fat	1 g	Calcium	63 mg
Monounsaturated fat	3 g

MAYO CLINIC HEALTHY WEIGHT PYRAMID SERVINGS

Vegetables	2
Fats	1

• Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid tool
• Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid: A sample menu

DIABETES MEAL PLAN EXCHANGES

Nonstarchy vegetables	2
Fats	1

• Your diabetes diet: Exchange lists

DASH EATING PLAN SERVINGS

Vegetables	2
Fats and oils	1

• DASH diet: Guide to recommended servings
• Sample menus for the DASH eating plan

RELATED

MayoClinic.com Bookstore

• 'The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook,' Concise Edition (Softcover)