Fonio, Fennel and Fruit Salad

Name: Fonio, Fennel and Fruit Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: ¼ cup organic fonio (dry, rinsed well); Macadamia Nut Ricotta (optional); ½ cup macadamia nuts (raw); 2 dashes nutmeg; 2 tsp lemon juice; ⅛ tsp salt (optional); 2 cups organic spinach (chopped); 1 bulb of fresh fennel (white part thinly sliced, save the green fennel fronds for later, if desired); 1 cup citrus fruit (segmented and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (orange, nectarine, tangelo, or grapefruit all work!)); ½ cup organic blackberries (halved); ⅓ cup red onion (diced); 1 medium avocado (seed removed, cut into cubes); 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (or hemp seeds); 1 tsp olive oil (optional); 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed); salt (optional to taste); ground black pepper (optional to taste)

Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN

1 year ago

Yields2 ServingsPrep Time20 minsCook Time5 minsTotal Time25 mins

Ingredients

Fonio

¼ cup organic fonio (dry, rinsed well)

Macadamia Nut Ricotta (optional)

½ cup macadamia nuts (raw)

2 dashes nutmeg

2 tsp lemon juice

⅛ tsp salt (optional)

Salad Ingredients

2 cups organic spinach (chopped)

1 bulb of fresh fennel (white part thinly sliced, save the green fennel fronds for later, if desired)

1 cup citrus fruit (segmented and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (orange, nectarine, tangelo, or grapefruit all work!))

½ cup organic blackberries (halved)

⅓ cup red onion (diced)

1 medium avocado (seed removed, cut into cubes)

2 tbsp sunflower seeds (or hemp seeds)

1 tsp olive oil (optional)

2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

salt (optional to taste)

ground black pepper (optional to taste)

Directions

Make the fonio: After you rinse the fonio thoroughly, add the fonio and ½ cup water to a stovetop pot. Heat on medium-high heat to boiling then lower to simmer; cover and cook for one minute. Let sit for 4 minutes with the lid on then fluff with a fork and set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Make the optional Macadamia Nut Ricotta: Add the macadamia nuts, ¼ cup water, nutmeg, lemon juice, and optional salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Prepare your salad ingredients: Add the spinach, fennel, citrus, blackberries, red onion, avocado, sunflower seeds, and fonio into a large bowl. Toss to combine.

Drizzle optional olive oil and lemon juice over the top. Toss to combine once more.

Taste for optional salt and pepper.

Divide between salad plates or bowls and add the optional 1 to 2 dollops of macadamia nut cheese over top. If using the fennel fronds, chop them and sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons over top of the fonio salad.

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
Substitute spinach with arugula or your favorite leafy greens of choice.
Substitute blackberries with strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
In place of red onion use shallots.
For the citrus, use seedless, if possible like navel, Cara Cara, mandarin, or Valencia.
In place of fonio use 1 cup cooked quinoa, buckwheat, or other whole grain of choice.

Nut-Free
Omit the Macadamia Nut Ricotta (the salad is still delicious without it!) and opt for more sunflower and/or hemp seeds.

Prep Ahead
Segment the citrus slices ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before using in this dish.

Storage
Store fonio salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.