Spinning Top Salad (Printable)

Light vegetable ribbons with fresh herbs and a bright citrus dressing for a fresh, crisp experience.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium fennel bulb
02 - 2 small rainbow carrots
03 - 1 small golden beet, peeled
04 - ½ small red onion

→ Herbs & Greens

05 - ½ cup fresh dill sprigs
06 - ½ cup fresh chervil or parsley leaves
07 - ¼ cup microgreens

→ Dressing

08 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
10 - 1 tsp honey
11 - ½ tsp Dijon mustard
12 - Salt, to taste
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Prepare:

01 - Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, thinly shave the fennel, carrots, golden beet, and red onion into wispy, translucent ribbons.
02 - Immerse the shaved vegetables in ice water for 5 to 10 minutes to crisp and curl the edges. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.
03 - Whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until emulsified.
04 - On a large serving platter, arrange the vegetable ribbons in a tight circular pattern, overlapping and extending edges outward to create a blurred spinning effect.
05 - Scatter dill, chervil or parsley, and microgreens over the arranged vegetables, focusing extra herbs toward the outer edge to enhance the wispy appearance.
06 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad just before serving to maintain crispness and freshness.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people stop mid-conversation and reach for their phones, but it's genuinely simple to pull together.
  • The textures are so alive—crisp, delicate, almost dissolving on your tongue with each bite of herb-touched vegetable.
  • No cooking required means you can make it on the hottest day of summer without heating up the kitchen.
02 -
  • The mandoline is your best friend here, but it's sharp enough to be dangerous—I learned this the slow way, so please use the guard or keep your fingertips well back.
  • Timing matters more than technique: if vegetables sit too long after slicing but before serving, they'll wilt and the whole composition falls apart, so organize everything before you start plating.
03 -
  • Keep your vegetables cold right until plating—warm vegetables will immediately lose their crisp texture and the whole effect deflates.
  • The dressing should be whisked fresh and drizzled only at the last second, because this salad's entire magic depends on that delicate crunch staying intact until it reaches someone's mouth.
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