Did you know that watercress, a cousin of beloved kale, is considered to be one of 41 powerhouse fruits and veggies? A superfood to the max, these peppery leaves are considered some of the healthiest greens you can consume, and have even been proven to prevent chronic diseases according to the CDC. For these reasons and because I adore their versatility and peppery flavor, I use them all the time in my kitchen. Stirred into a soup, raw in salads like this one, tossed into a pan of scrambled eggs or as the highlight of a quiche or omelet, and even as the green addition to a sandwich at lunch.
This salad combines lovely watercress leaves with sliced, fresh fennel, sweet dried cherries, crunchy pecans and creamy feta cheese. A light lemon vinaigrette drizzled over top makes for, in my opinion, a top-notch salad idea. A lovely side salad indeed, but this salad would also be wonderful when topped with a grilled chicken breast or even a grilled salmon fillet.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Watercress & Fennel Salad with Dried Cherries, Pecans & Feta Cheese
Ingredients:
- 4 cups watercress
- 1 head of fennel, root end trimmed, stalks removed and bulb halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 3 oz. crumbled feta or blue cheese
- For the vinaigrette: (whisk together until emulsified)
- juice of 2 large lemons (preferably Meyer lemon variety)
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Nutritional Info on watercress can be found at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/06/05/finally-a-list-of-powerhouse-fruits-and-vegetables-ranked-by-how-much-nutrition-they-contain/?utm_term=.c87174c5147c
Tagged: dried cherries, fennel, feta cheese, fresh fennel, lemon vinaigrette, pecans, peppery greens, powerhouse veggies, Salad, side dish, superfood, watercress, watercress and fennel salad, watercress salad
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