Triple Fennel & Spelt Salad

This recipe comes from the kitchen of holistic nutritionist and whole-food chef Sarah Britton. Sarah is the creator of My New Roots and My New Roots Grow, a wellness platform and expansive resource for cooking tutorials, holistic living, exclusive recipes, breathwork, and movement classes.Today, Sarah shares her Triple Fennel & Spelt Salad — a combination of cooked and raw elements, including a mixture of grounding grains with crispy, raw veggies. This recipe is highlighted by chewy, nutty spelt kernels and three parts of the fennel plant — the bulb, seeds, and flowers. Folded together with lots of lemon, briny black olives, and fresh tarragon, this salad makes for a tasty meal.

Ingredients for Salad:

• ¾ cup organic, raw spelt

• 2 medium organic fennel bulbs

• 1 tbsp minced organic fennel flowers (with their pollen)

• 1 tbsp organic fennel seeds

• 3 tbsp minced organic fresh tarragon

• 15 organic kalamata olives, pitted

• 1 small organic red onion or shallot

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

• Organic olive oil to serve

Ingredients for Fennel Marinade:

• The zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

• 1 tbsp Manuka Honey (or organic maple syrup)

• 1 tbsp organic olive oil

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Assembly:

1. Begin by marinating the fennel and onion. Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut the fennel and onion into julienne strips, or any small, bite-sized shape you like. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours.

2. Rinse spelt kernels very well in a large pot or bowl, changing the water until it is relatively clear (2-4 times). If possible, let spelt soak in fresh water for up to 12 hours to improve digestive qualities. Drain spelt and place in a pot with 2 cups water. Add a few pinches of sea salt, cover, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until tender, yet chewy (time varies depending on soaking time, but approximately 30-40 minutes). If there is any water left in the pot, simply drain out. If the water evaporates before the spelt is cooked, add a little at a time until it is. Let cool slightly, fluff with a fork and toss with marinated fennel.

3. Pit olives by squashing them with the flat side of a knife blade, and slice into small pieces. Add olives, fennel flowers, and tarragon, and fold to combine everything.

4. Season to taste, serve and enjoy.

*Serves 4

Join Grow’s Blossom Tier! Experience all that Sarah’s wellness universe has to offer, for only $5 your first month. Use code THEFULLEST at checkout!Since October 2007, Sarah Britton’s successful blog, My New Roots, has inspired eaters from around the world alongside her two cookbooks and mini-series on Food Network Canada’s The Substitute Baker. My New Roots Grow is Sarah’s very own wellness platform, an expansive resource for cooking tutorials, holistic living, exclusive recipes, breathwork and movement classes, and so much more. Sarah’s deep love for nature’s bounty and seasonality shines through in all she creates, and her most recent study and journey into the power of breathwork continues to take Sarah and the My New Roots community to new heights.