Fennel, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

It’s been ten years since I was an au pair in Milan — this is where I learnt to make this salad. A regular bowl on the table before a big bowl of pasta with broccoli or leeks and pancetta. The combo of ingredients leads to a crisp, tangy, creamy moment in every bite. Great with a roast chook, with a couple of slices of fresh sourdough or before a large serving of pasta.

You'll need

‍1 large ruby red grapefruit (or two small)
1 large bulb of fennel
1 avocado
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Sherry vinegar
Salt and pepp
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Make it

Segment a grapefruit into a large-ish bowl. If you don’t know how to do this, you can watch here, if you don't want to, just cut the skin and whites off and then slice it into rounds. Cut off the top of the fennel (reserving some fronds) and finely slice (as thin as you can) the bulb on a mandoline straight into the bowl with the grapefruit and toss to coat in the juices. Scoop the avocado out into small-ish chunks into the bowl. Season with a good pinch of salt and a heavy crack of pepper. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and a big splash of sherry vinegar and toss it all together. Top with the pine nuts and fennel fronds.

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