The Spinning Top Salad (Print Version)

A fresh salad with thin vegetable ribbons and herbs arranged in a circular, blurred-edge pattern.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium fennel bulb
02 - 2 small rainbow carrots
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 slicer or vegetable peeler, shave the fennel, carrots, golden beet, and red onion into thin, translucent ribbons.
02 - Soak the shaved vegetables in ice water for 5 to 10 minutes to crisp and curl the edges, then drain and pat dry.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
04 - Place the vegetable ribbons in a tight circular pattern on a large platter, overlapping edges outward to create a blurred, dynamic effect.
05 - Distribute dill, chervil or parsley, and microgreens over the top, concentrating herbs toward the outer edges for a wispy appearance.
06 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the assembled vegetables immediately before serving to preserve crispness.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours on plating when you really just needed 25 minutes and a sharp blade.
  • The vegetables stay impossibly crisp and sweet—ice water does actual magic here.
  • You can prepare everything ahead and assemble just before guests arrive, which means less stress and more time to enjoy their reactions.
02 -
  • Never skip the ice bath—raw vegetables become watery and limp without that crucial crisp-up step, and texture is literally everything here.
  • Shave your vegetables immediately before serving or they'll start to wilt and lose their translucent beauty, so this is a just-before-guests-arrive kind of dish.
03 -
  • Do all your vegetable prep 30 minutes ahead, keep them in ice water, then dry and arrange just before plating—this gives you peace of mind without sacrificing crispness.
  • Toast a small handful of pine nuts or walnuts separately and scatter them on top just before serving for a subtle crunch that changes the entire experience.
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