Fennel Protein Salad

Here at vegan.io we like to switch things up a little bit. When we think of snacking we rarely do think of having a salad. But this Fennel Salad recipe will make you reconsider all your snacking options. 

I would say this is the perfect way of snacking. I mean, you have a delicious meal that you can have ready super quickly, it's incredibly delicious and it's made with a bunch of super healthy ingredients. 

The texture is perfect, you have the crunchiness from the fennel and the apples. But also the dressing is rich and creamy without being too heavy or overwhelming. Having this combination makes it the perfect fix for that midday struggle. 

Fennel is an interesting vegetable and incredibly undervalued. It is light, fresh and it makes me think of spring and summer season.  It has a very unique taste that's hard to put into words. It is like an onion with some anise accents but in a very fresh and spring-like way. 

I know, that's a terrible description. I've tried describing fennel before and that's as good as it gets. What I'm trying to say is that fennel is a great salad ingredient that adds so much to it. So you won't feel like a bunny eating just green leaves. That's not how salads should be. 

Also, fennel is incredibly healthy and in a lot of cultures it is even considered a medicinal food. You can eat the whole plant, the bulb, stalk, leaves, and seeds, and each is used to treat many different things. For instance, these are some of the health benefits associated with fennel: 

• Prevents anemia 
• Relieves indigestion 
• Eliminate bad breath
• Removes flatulence 
• Treats constipation 
• Reduces heart diseases
• Anticancer potential 
• Regulates blood pressure
• Improves brain function 
• Boosts immunity
• Regulates menstruation
• Treats respiratory disorders

As you can see, fennel is amazing but it's not as well-known as it should be. I think consuming the seeds is a bit more common than eating the bulb or the stalk. You can make a really delicious tea with the seeds which also has quite a long list of benefits of its own. A lot of people use it as a remedy against gas issues and to reduce digestive problems in children and infants.

Fennel is great and everything but we can't just have a bowl of shivered fennel and call it a day. We are adding apples, chickpeas, and dates to our salad. The ingredients are simple but everything we included adds flavour and a bunch of nutrients as well. 

The dressing will bring all the flavours together and it is incredibly easy to make. You most likely already have everything you need in your kitchen. We just need to mix mustard, maple syrup, soy yogurt, and a bit of salt and pepper. 

We get most of the flavour from the veggies so the dressing is just a nice little accent to make our fennel salad creamy and even more delicious. It makes it perfect for a snack in the middle of the day or after a good workout on a sunny day!