This easy tomato, fennel and tuna salad with homemade pita croutons came together very quickly. I dressed it with a very simple honey vinaigrette and it’s topped with fresh mint and crumbled feta. It’s fresh and vibrant – perfect flavours for the season.
The crispy pita croutons give it a nice texture and crunch while also making it a complete meal. It’s especially good if you serve it while the pita croutons are still hot.
Since we had some leftover homemade pita that Bogdan made last week, the crispy pita in a salad concept really kicked off this dish.
The combination makes me think of fattoush, Middle Eastern fresh vegetable salad with crispy fried pita chips.
There’s a Syrian restaurant in our neighbourhood that makes an incredible fattoush salad with pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. It’s one of the best salads I’ve ever had and I’m planning to make some homemade pomegranate molasses soon so I can make my own fattoush (and share the recipe of course ?).
Besides pita there’s also shaved fennel bulb. I had half a bulb of fennel in the fridge, leftover from a marinated carrot and fennel salad I made to go with our Easter roast lamb this past weekend. I cut it very finely, massaged it with good Greek extra virgin olive oil, and then combined it with the fresh vine tomatoes I picked up yesterday at the Turkish grocer.
A little bit of salt, a little bit of oil, some honey, vinegar, fresh mint and feta – you’ve got yourself a shaved fennel salad with tomato, tuna and pita croutons.
This recipe makes two lunch portions. Adjust accordingly to your needs
Ingredients
- 1/2 fennel bulb, sliced into very fine ribbons
- 2 very nice and ripe medium sized tomatoes
- 1 cup of dried pita or other dried bread cut into crouton sized pieces
- 1/2 can of tuna, in oil or water as you prefer
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil – sunflower or other vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of good finishing oil (extra virgin olive oil)
- 1/2 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon of honey
- 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Method
The basic premise is simple. You’re going to toss the pita in oil, salt and herbs and bake it until crispy.
While that’s happening, slice the fennel very very thinly, so it looks like it’s been shaved off. Drizzle with about 1/2 a tablespoon of good olive oil and use your hands to massage the fennel until you feel it soften in your hands. This massaging process tenderizes and softens it.
Once the fennel is soft it can be combined with the tomato. I cut the tomato into quarters, and then cut each quarter into slices. It’s up to you how you slice the tomatoes.
After the fennel and tomato are combined the salad is basically done. Whip up the honey vinaigrette in a small bowl – I used Greek extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, balsamic, and a bit of Turkish pine honey that I picked up recently.
Toss the salad with the hot pita and serve with a fresh sprinkle of feta and chopped mint.
I may not be able to enjoy spring outside this year but I’m definitely going to enjoy it from my table.
More from my #quarantinekitchen
Reducing food waste was a big priority for me even before, but the quarantine has really pushed me to new heights.
In the past few weeks I’ve used stale bread and moldy cheese to make a savoury french toast bake with cheese and Mediterranean herbs, and breadcrumbs from the remnants of my whole wheat braided loaf went into the Sicilian-style breadcrumb, tomato and anchovy sauce on homemade pappardelle.
My favourite – I repurposed a whole meal turning leftover roast lamb, gravy and mashed potatoes into roast lamb ragu over pillowy-soft homemade potato gnocchi.
There’s something about finding ways to repurpose old and forgotten leftovers and scraps that makes me really proud and really determined to continue reducing waste during quarantine and beyond. I also love the continuity. The way each dish flows into the next, the ingredients linked conceptually from one day to another.
So that’s where we are now. Working from home for the foreseeable future as the Amsterdam (intelligent) lockdown has been extended at least until mid-May. So what else is there to do but cook ☺️
Shaved fennel salad with tomato, tuna & pita croutons
Perfect for spring shaved fennel salad with tomato, tuna and crispy pita croutons dressed with crumbled feta, fresh mint and a simple honey vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1/2 fennel bulb, sliced into very fine ribbons
- 2 very nice and ripe medium sized tomatoes
- 1 cup of dried pita or other dried bread cut into crouton sized pieces
- 1/2 can of tuna, in oil or water as you prefer
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil – sunflower or other vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of good finishing oil (extra virgin olive oil)
- 1/2 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon of honey
- 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F.
- Cut your pita or bread into crouton sized pieces – about 1 cm by 1 cm.
- In a large bowl toss together the pita with 1 tablespoon of sunflower or other vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt, dried oregano and 1 tablespoon of feta and toss again until evenly coated. Lay out in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5 – 8 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, slice the fennel very thinly and massage it with about 1/2 a tablespoon of the good olive oil. Once you feel the vegetable fibres soften in your hands, it’s ready.
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and then slice the quarters into strips. You can also cut them a different way. Combine them with the fennel.
- In a small bowl mix together the rest of the good olive oil as well as the honey and vinegars. Mix and pour over the fennel and tomato.
- When the pita is ready, toss it while hot with the fennel and tomato, plate and top with 1/4 of a can of tuna per portion as well as 1/2 a tablespoon of feta and a sprinkle of fresh chopped mint.
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