This stunning shaved carrot fennel salad is made with peeled veggies, pistachios, and a delicate dressing. It’s a delicious vegan fennel recipe that makes a great side dish.

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Ok, so I posted about carrots two days in a row. I know, I know. Sue me! They’re just such a versatile ingredient that it was bound to happen.

This recipe, however, uses carrots in a much different way than yesterday’s Beet and Carrot Veggie Applesauce.

Instead of cooking and mashing carrots, I kept them raw and used a vegetable peeler to produce gorgeous, fresh carrot shavings. These pretty lil’ things are the perfect companion to shaved fennel, a lesser known veggie with a subtle anise test.

If you’ve never had fennel before, this might be one of the best ways to try it.

Some people, especially those who dislike licorice, shy away from fennel. But it has a lot to offer from a culinary standpoint. Its unique taste really shakes up traditional recipes, and when you pair fennel with the right companions (like sweet carrots), you’re in for a real treat.

How to Prepare Raw Fennel

To prepare the fennel for this recipe, simply slice off the stalks and wash the bulb. You will only shave the bulb with a vegetable peeler, since the stalks are usually bitter. It’s really useful to keep the bulb intact and not cut it into smaller pieces. This makes it easier to shave.

As for those pretty little green wisps on the stalks, they’re called fronds. And you can keep those to sprinkle on top of this Shaved Fennel Carrot Salad before you serve it.

If you don’t have a vegetable peeler or don’t want to use it so have you bulb of fennel, you can also just thinly slice the fennel. See how to do this in my tutorial on How to Prepare Fennel.

Expert Tips

Shaving vegetables takes more time than slicing and dicing them, but it’s a fun way to mix it up. I also think it makes the salad more enjoyable, because you don’t have to work as hard to chomp on the raw carrots and fennel. Just be sure to set aside a little extra prep time for making this Shaved Carrot Fennel Salad.
Here is the vegetable swivel peeler that I use, and I love it!
Use multicolored carrots, instead of just orange ones, to get an even prettier dish! You can find rainbow carrots at most stores, including Trader Joe’s.
This salad can be served alongside a lean protein or as part of a holiday meal.
Leftovers will last for up to 3 days in the fridge.

If you’re a part of the Veg World, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I love to make super fancy looking recipes that are secretly (or not so secretly) incredibly easy to make.

Fake it until you make it, am I right?!! This is one of those recipes. I hope you enjoy these fun shaved veggies as much as I do!

For more fennel recipes, check out the Warm Fennel Salad with Grapes and Feta, Lemony Fennel Lentil Salad with Parsley, and Coconut Cod with Fennel and Spinach.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how you like it in the comments below! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments section. For more veggie recipes, subscribe to the weekly newsletter.

📖 Recipe