Fennel and feta with pomegranate seeds and sumac from Ottolenghi - The Cookbook (page 17) by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

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Ingredients

sumac
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lemons
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EYB Comments

Can substitute dried cranberries or sour cherries for pomegranates.

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

Eat Your Books

Can substitute dried cranberries or sour cherries for pomegranates.
Ganga108 on March 02, 2022

Fennel and pomegranate, unsurprisingly, make a great match in the salad bowl. One crunchy and liquorishy, and the other slightly tart and juicy. Ottolenghi pairs them with feta and sumac. This must bring four of Ottolenghi’s most loved ingredients together – he uses them a lot. He recommends Greek feta for the bite that it gives, but I have fallen in love with a more Middle Eastern feta, one that I can get from the local Afghan grocery. It is creamier and gentler - perhaps it is Danish - and I adore it. In this recipe, use your favourite feta too.
clkandel on May 25, 2017

This is easy to make and so flavorful. I didn't have a pomegranate, so I topped it with orange segments. I think it was a great substitute.
mondraussie on December 09, 2014

Great flavours, served on a base of mix leaf, to counter the dominant fennel taste. Think I'll cut back on the sumac a little next time, may have been a bit heavy handed this time. Balance of feta, pomegranate and fennel works really well. Serve with grilled salmon.
Rutabaga on May 10, 2014

Delicious - just as everyone else has already noted. I found it was easy enough to slice the fennel thinly with a chef's knife, no mandoline necessary. As with many salad recipes, I didn't measure the main ingredients (fennel, pomegranate seeds, etc), but just added what looked like the right amount for a good balance of each, and that did the trick. I did not find the tarragon to be dominant, but again, I just added leaves to taste.
FJT on October 27, 2013

We loved this salad and will definitely be making it again.
k.a.g on June 24, 2013

I was also a little disappointed by this - I love raw fennel salads in general, but I found this one a little lacking, like the other favours couldn't hold their own. It's possibly my fault as the fennel bulbs I had were pretty big. I would definitely be willing to try this again with less fennel (by volume) and more of everything else.
wester on January 12, 2013

I'm afraid I was disappointed by this. I had expected the fennel and tarragon to stand out more, and I would have liked a note of richness somewhere.
sharifah on January 02, 2012

I don't like the taste of raw fennel - its a bit too aniseed-y. But this recipe changed my outlook on raw fennel. Have to make sure the fennel is sliced really thinly, and somehow the combo of feta, sumac & pomegranate mixes well and masks the aniseed taste. Would make this again
Franci on November 30, 2011

Very nice flavor. I did really like tarragon and fennel together.
Jane on May 18, 2011

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I have never cooked with sumac before. That will now be rectified as I have a little jar from Penzey’s and I will definitely make this salad again. I followed the recipe to the letter – although pomegranates are out of season I was able to buy one of those packs of the seeds. The balance of the licorice-ish fennel and tarragon, the creamy feta and the tangy pomegranate plus the tartness of the sumac, made for a really interesting mouthful. The only thing I might do differently when I make it again is leave out the tarragon as that flavor was a bit dominant.