In a glass jar with a lid, combine the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, grainy mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil. Close the lid on top and give it a shake to combine. Set aside.
Remove the tops of the fennel, reserving some for garnish. Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline, carefully shave the fennel into thin but still substantial slices. Transfer shaved fennel to a large bowl.
Add the arugula to the large bowl.
Remove the core from the apple and slice it thinly, either with a knife or on the mandoline. Add to the large bowl. Season everything in the bowl with salt and pepper.
Toss the fennel, arugula, and apple with all of the dressing and about half of the chopped pistachios. Once everything is sufficiently coated and tossed. Garnish the top with the remaining pistachios and serve!
Recipe Notes
Apples are available year-round where I live (Ambrosia or Honey Crisp are excellent), but other seasonal fruits are nice! Peaches in the summer, pears in the fall, and even strawberries in the late spring months!
This salad is so simple in terms of ingredients. For this reason, I recommend using an olive oil that you really love the taste of on its own.
This fresh and lemony arugula fennel salad is ready in 20 minutes and is just a great side salad recipe to keep in your back pocket. The tangy, slightly sweet dressing and chopped salty pistachios make it super crave-able.