Spinning Top Fresh Salad (Printable View)

Vibrant salad with thin ribbons of vegetables and fresh herbs in a beautiful circular display.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

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

→ Herbs & Greens

05 - 1/2 cup fresh dill sprigs
06 - 1/2 cup fresh chervil or parsley leaves
07 - 1/4 cup microgreens

→ Dressing

08 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - Salt, to taste
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, thinly shave fennel, carrots, golden beet, and red onion into delicate, almost translucent ribbons.
02 - Soak shaved vegetables in ice water for 5 to 10 minutes to enhance crispness 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 in a small bowl until emulsified.
04 - Neatly arrange the vegetable ribbons in a tight circular pattern on a large platter, overlapping edges to create a blurred, spinning visual effect.
05 - Scatter dill, chervil or parsley leaves, and microgreens over the top, concentrating herbs toward the outer edges for a wispy presentation.
06 - Drizzle the prepared dressing evenly over the salad immediately before serving to maintain freshness and texture.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It looks like restaurant-quality plating but actually takes less than 30 minutes from start to table.
  • Zero cooking required means you can make it on the hottest day without heating up the kitchen.
  • The vegetables stay impossibly crisp and bright because of that ice bath trick that changes everything.
02 -
  • If you slice your vegetables and don't use them immediately, they'll start to lose that crisp texture within minutes, so prep just before you plate.
  • The ice bath is not optional—it transforms limp vegetable scraps into glossy, curled ribbons that actually hold their shape and look alive on the plate.
  • Dressing too early is the death of this dish; wait until the last possible moment or the whole presentation falls apart.
03 -
  • A mandoline with a hand guard is not optional—this tool is genuinely dangerous if you're not focused, so respect it and use protection every single time.
  • The ice bath transforms the vegetables in ways that seem almost magical, so don't skip it even if you're in a rush.
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