When the colder weather coupled with the holidays begs for warm savory dishes, this salad gives you the tastiest of greens but leaves plenty of room for the winter indulgences. The crispness of the greens plus the intoxicating herbal dressing is a guaranteed winner. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 heads butter lettuce, such as Boston or bibb
- 1 romaine heart
- 1 large Belgian endive
- 1 bunch watercress
- ½ small head frisée
- 1/4 pound ricotta salata cheese, shaved with a peeler
- Seeds from 1 small pomegranate
For the dressing:
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon aged sherry vinegar, plus additional, as needed
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 3 sprigs thyme, washed and stripped
- 1 large clove garlic, finely grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Wash the greens. Trim each head at the root to release whole leaves. Set butter lettuce leaves aside, but halve large leaves of romaine and endive on the bias. Trim and discard any roots and long stems off watercress. Trim and discard dark green outer leaves and tops from frisée until only light green and white parts remain. Trim at the root to release leaves.
- Place the shallot in a medium bowl, and add vinegar and warm water. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then whisk in oil, mustards, honey, thyme, garlic and a large pinch of salt. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed.
- To serve, gently pile a generous handful of greens into a serving bowl, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and a generous drizzle of dressing and add to a large serving platter. Continue with another handful of salad and more seasoning and dressing, repeating until you have a glorious, gravity-defying tower of salad.
- Top with ricotta salata shavings and pomegranate seeds, and serve immediately.
- Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing for up to 3 days.
For more salad ideas, check out @saladsaresuperawesome on instagram.