Save to Pinterest I discovered The Spinning Top while watching a chef plate vegetables at a farmers market demo, and I was mesmerized by how she made something so simple look like it belonged in a gallery. The way those thin ribbons caught the light, curling and overlapping in circles, made me realize salad could be as much about theater as flavor. That afternoon I rushed home, grabbed my mandoline with nervous hands, and started shaving. An hour later, my plate looked nothing like hers, but it tasted like pure spring.
I made this for a dinner party once and forgot the dressing until the last second, which turned out to be perfect because the vegetables were already crisp and curled. My friend sat down and just stared at her plate for a moment before eating, and I knew right then that presentation really does change how food tastes. That night taught me that sometimes the unplanned moments matter more than the perfect plan.
Ingredients
- Fennel bulb: The sweetness underneath the anise flavor is what grounds this salad, and shaving it thin is the only way to tame its intensity into something delicate.
- Rainbow carrots: Different colors mean different sweetness levels, so mix them for complexity and visual drama.
- Golden beet: It won't bleed into everything like a red beet, and its earthiness anchors all the brightness.
- Red onion: The bite is what your palate needs halfway through, so use just enough to notice.
- Fresh dill and chervil: These aren't garnish, they're the soul of the dish, so get them as fresh as you can find them.
- Microgreens: They add a peppery note that the bigger herbs miss, plus they're what makes it look intentional.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Quality matters here because it's one of five ingredients doing the talking.
- Lemon juice: Squeeze it fresh the moment before you dress, never use bottled for this one.
- Honey: A tiny bit rounds out the acid and makes the mustard whisper instead of shout.
- Dijon mustard: It's the quiet emulsifier that holds the dressing together and keeps it tasting alive.
Instructions
- Set up your shaving station:
- Get your mandoline or peeler ready and have a bowl of ice water waiting before you start, because once you begin shaving, you need to move quickly. The moment those ribbons hit room temperature they start to wilt.
- Shave each vegetable thin enough to see through:
- This is where patience pays off—go slowly and let the tool do the work, or you'll end up with thick slices instead of ribbons. Overlap your shaves so each vegetable cascades into the next.
- Soak and crisp the vegetables:
- Five to ten minutes in ice water is the magic window where everything curls and becomes delicate without getting waterlogged. This is the moment when raw salad ingredient becomes something special.
- Make the dressing while vegetables chill:
- Whisk the oil, lemon juice, honey, and mustard together until it looks creamy and tastes bright but not too sharp. Salt and pepper come last, tasted as you go.
- Arrange in a circle:
- Drain and dry your vegetables, then start building from the center outward, layering the ribbons so they overlap and the edges blur toward the edge of the plate. This takes longer than you'd think, and that's exactly right.
- Scatter the herbs and finish:
- Drop dill, chervil, and microgreens on top and around the edges, with more toward the outside to keep that spinning illusion. Drizzle the dressing right before serving and watch it glisten.
Save to Pinterest Someone once told me that beautiful food tastes better because we expect it to, and I've spent years trying to prove them wrong. But The Spinning Top always proves them right, every single time.
The Mandoline Moment
The first time with a mandoline is scarier than it needs to be, but once you stop gripping the vegetable like it's going to escape, it becomes meditative. You develop a rhythm, and your hands learn where the danger is. By the third or fourth vegetable, you're not thinking about the blade anymore, you're thinking about how thin you can go and how beautiful the ribbon will be.
Why This Salad Feels Different
Most salads get dressed and eaten, but this one asks to be looked at first. That moment of pause before anyone takes a bite is when you know you've made something worth the effort. It's the same reason we light candles at dinner, or choose the good plates for guests—some dishes deserve ceremony.
Playing With Your Plate
The beauty of The Spinning Top is that it's mostly about technique and arrangement, which means you can swap vegetables based on what looks good at the market. Radishes add crunch and color, cucumber brings coolness, thinly shaved apple brings sweetness you don't expect. The dressing never changes, but the salad becomes slightly different every season.
- Serve this on the largest plate you own to make the spinning effect even more dramatic.
- If you're short on time, skip the ice bath, but know that the curl and delicacy will suffer for it.
- Make the dressing first so it sits for a few minutes and the flavors marry before you taste it.
Save to Pinterest This salad teaches you that appetizers don't have to be complicated to be memorable. Sometimes the simplest idea, executed with care and a little theater, is enough to make a meal feel like an occasion.
Recipe Questions & Answers
- → What tools help create the thin vegetable ribbons?
A mandoline slicer or a sharp vegetable peeler is ideal for shaving vegetables into delicate, translucent ribbons.
- → How do I achieve the curled edges effect on the vegetables?
Soaking the shaved vegetables in ice water for 5–10 minutes helps crisp and curl their edges, enhancing texture and presentation.
- → Can I substitute any herbs in the salad?
Yes, fresh dill, chervil, parsley, and microgreens are suggested, but you can experiment with other fresh herbs for varied flavors.
- → Is the dressing suitable for a light and fresh profile?
Absolutely, the combination of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard creates a balanced, bright, and lightly sweet dressing.
- → How should the salad be served for best results?
Arrange just before serving to maintain crispness and visual appeal; it pairs well with crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blanc.