Raw Beet and Fennel Salad

I once worked with a chef who loved to make a beet salad for our family meal, but he always served it raw. Having grown up eating typical PA Dutch foods, our beets were always served pickled and usually with hard-boiled eggs, so this was almost unfathomable to me.  Through the years, though, I’ve tried to be less  “that’s not how we do it” and more “let’s try something new!”…and this week proved to be a perfect one for an ice-cold, super simple raw salad with paper-thin, *raw* beets.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp rice vinegar or your favorite vinegar

salt and pepper 

1-2 beets, peeled and sliced thinly

1-2 heads fennel, sliced thinly

yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

a few sprigs of fresh dill

optional: a drizzle of hot honey

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the beets to this mixture and toss to coat. Arrange the beets on a serving plate, top with the fennel, tomatoes, and dill and drizzle with hot honey. Serve immediately.  Note: a mandolin works best to get paper-thin slices.