Fennel Apple Kale Slaw
Crunchy, tangy, and just a little sweet, this Fennel Apple Kale Slaw with Poppy Seed Dressing is the perfect side dish any time of year. Whether you’re looking for something light to balance out a hearty meal or a mayo-free coleslaw for your picnic spread, this kale slaw recipe has you covered.
Read on for all the tips and tricks for slicing kale and how to vary this recipe. Or just grab that giant bunch of kale you need to use up, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a fennel, apple, and kale slaw!

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Ingredients
Let’s start with the kale. The best kale for a kale salad is Lacinato kale, also called Dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale, because it’s the least bitter. If you love kale like I do, check out my kale frittata, kale and cheese quick bread, garbanzo bean soup with kale, and even kale waffles!
Apple next. Pick a crisp, slightly sweet apple like a Honeycrisp. Lemon juice will prevent the apple from browning and add to the acidity of the slaw.
Finally, fennel. It adds crispness and a mild, licorice flavor.
Poppy seed dressing – I love the crunch that poppy seeds add to this kale apple fennel coleslaw and my favorite orange muffins. Otherwise the dressing is just a classic honey mustard salad dressing.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Use any of the other variants of Brassica oleracea plant species. Kale, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and kohlrabi are all variants of the same species!
- Not a fan of fennel? Try thinly sliced celery for a similar crunch.
- Add dried cranberries or dried cherries for a bit more sweetness.
Recipe tips and tricks
Slicing and massaging kale for salads
Massaging kale is a technique I use in kale salads to improve its texture. Massaging with acid and salt, like in the vinaigrette, can help break down kale’s cell walls, making it more tender.
Wash the kale thoroughly and pat it dry. To slice kale for kale salads and this kale slaw, first slice out the thick stem. Then roll up a leaf or two (or five) together and slice into very thin strips crosswise across the roll of kale leaves.
In a small bowl or clean jam jar, whisk or shake together the ingredients for the poppy seed dressing except for the poppy seeds. Put your sliced kale in a bowl with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat, about a tablespoon or two. Use clean hands to squeeze the kale for a minute or two until it starts to feel softer.
Chopping the fennel and apple
Trim the fennel bulb and cut it in half. Remove the core and thinly slice the fennel using a sharp knife or mandoline.
I like to use the mandoline, because I’ll slice an extra apple or two while I’m at it to make my dried apple rings. Just be careful, because that mandoline is a big kitchen hazard!
Julienne the apple into sticks of the same size. There’s no need to peel the apple – leaving the skin on gives you extra fiber and color.
Putting the fennel and apple kale slaw together
Add the apple and fennel to the bowl with the massaged kale. Add the poppy seeds to the slaw dressing, and pour the rest of the dressing over the kale, fennel, and apple.
Toss until everything is evenly coated. You can serve this kale apple fennel slaw right away, or hold it in the refrigerator for up to a day.
What to serve with a fennel kale and apple slaw
This coleslaw is incredibly versatile! Pair it with:
- My cast iron chicken breasts, grilled meats or fish.
- BBQ chicken meatballs, pulled chicken, or my braised boneless country style ribs.
- Veggie burgers like my BBQ pinto bean burgers or cauliflower burgers.
- As a topping for tacos or part of a harvest grain bowl.
Recipe FAQs
Coleslaw is an Anglicized version of the Dutch “kool sla,” meaning “cabbage salad,” so really none. I think of coleslaw like my purple cabbage slaw as having shredded vegetables.
Yes! This coleslaw stays crisp when made up to a day in advance. Store it in the fridge and toss again before serving.
We have fennel on our salad every night. It’s also in my family’s go-to fennel and sausage pizza recipe!
Related salad recipes
Check out salads and other side dishes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives, like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Fennel Apple Kale Slaw
Ingredients
Kale Fennel Apple Slaw
- 1 bunch (about 200 grams) kale
- 1 fennel bulb about 1 cup sliced
- 1 apple
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Poppy Seed Dressing
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the kale. Wash the kale, pat it dry. To slice kale for kale salads, and slice out the main stem. Roll the kale leaves together and slice them crosswise into very thin strips. Put the kale into a bowl.1 bunch (about 200 grams) kale
- Combine all of the ingredients for the poppy seed dressing except for the poppy seeds in a bowl or clean jam jar, and whisk or shake to mix.1 shallot, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add a tablespoon or two of the dressing to the kale and use clean hands to massage the dressing into all of the kale for about a minute.
- Trim the fennel bulb, removing the stem and cut it in half. Remove the core and thinly slice the fennel using a sharp knife or mandoline.1 fennel bulb
- Core the apple, then julienne it into thin sticks the same size as your fennel. Put the lemon juice into a shallow bowl with an equal amount of water, and dip the apple sticks into the lemon juice to coat.1 apple, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Add the fennel and apple to the bowl with the kale. Add the poppy seeds to the jar with the slaw dressing, shake or whisk, and pour it over the kale, fennel, and apple.1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Toss until all of the apple, fennel, and kale is evenly coated with the poppy seed dressing. Serve your kale apple fennel slaw right away, or hold it in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Notes
Nutrition
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