Escarole Salad Recipes

WARM ESCAROLE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Quarter the escarole lengthwise through the stem end. Wash the escarole wedges under cold water, being sure to wash away any dirt or grit between the leaves. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of the oil, whisking constantly, until blended. Stir in the raisins.
• Arrange the escarole wedges, cut-side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle the wedges with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until the escarole is browned and charred in places on top but still raw underneath, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Spoon the raisin vinaigrette over the warm escarole wedges; sprinkle with the almonds.
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ESCAROLE SALAD

Steps:

• Make lemon-basil oil:
• Mix 1/3 cup olive oil, a strip of lemon zest, 8 torn basil leaves and a pinch of salt; infuse 2 hours. Soak 1/2 thinly sliced red onion in water for 10 minutes to mellow the bite. When ready to serve, toss 1 head chopped escarole, the onion slices, 2 sliced celery stalks, 3/4 cup chopped green olives and a few tablespoons olive juice, 2 segmented lemons and 1/4 cup each toasted pine nuts and golden raisins in a serving bowl. Discard the zest from the infused oil, drizzle over the salad and season with salt and pepper.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH ANCHOVY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; position an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. (The croutons will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
• For the escarole: Preheat a grill on medium heat.
• Cut the escarole head in half, then wash and dry. Grill the escarole cut-side down to give it a little char, about 3 minutes. (Do not flip and cook the other side. We are looking for just some of the escarole to be charred.) Set aside and let cool.
• For the warm anchovy vinaigrette: In a small saucepot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over low heat until shimmering. Add the shallots and anchovies and cook, stirring, until the shallots have softened and the anchovies fall apart and dissolve in the oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring, until it has reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons oil.
• Cut the escarole into 1-inch pieces and put in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and croutons and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH ROASTED MEYER LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the honey. When the honey has melted, stir it together with the oil. Place the lemons, cut-side down, into the honey mixture; cook until the lemons look charred and the honey has caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lemons to a baking sheet and let cool. Set the skillet aside.
• Juice the roasted lemons and add 1/4 cup of the juice to a bowl; whisk in the remaining 1 teaspoon honey and the mustard. Once combined, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until the dressing becomes emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the salad: Return the skillet to high heat. When hot, add the cherry tomatoes and season with salt. Cook until the caramelized honey coats the tomatoes and the tomatoes just begin to char, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Combine the escarole, Treviso, almonds, basil and mint in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad with the dressing, and then gently fold in the charred tomatoes. Transfer the salad to the serving platter and, using a peeler, shave Parmesan over the top.

ESCAROLE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 cup walnuts on rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and coarsely chop.
• Finely chop remaining walnuts and place in small saucepan with olive oil and garlic. Bring to bare simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and strain oil into medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, salt, and black pepper into oil.
• Spread escarole over a large platter. Sprinkle coarsely chopped walnuts and red onion over escarole and drizzle dressing over salad. Shave Pecorino Romano on top and serve immediately.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH PARMESAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Combine the escarole and radicchio in a large salad bowl. Toss in the dates.
• In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, mustard, grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and black pepper. Shake well to combine. Pour over the salad and toss.
• Grate more Parmesan on top and serve.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH WARM BACON DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush evenly with the olive oil. Bake until toasted, turning halfway through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Combine the escarole and radicchio in a serving bowl. Set aside.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon.
• Add the anchovy and shallot to the drippings in the skillet and cook until softened and fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the mustard, vinegar, honey, and extra-virgin olive oil until combined. Stir in the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the warm dressing over the lettuce in the bowl, add the crostini, and toss to coat.

ESCAROLE AND WALNUT SALAD

Steps:

• Stir together vinegar, mustard, and shallots in a small bowl.Gradually whisk in oil. Toss escarole with vinaigrette,and sprinkle with walnuts. Season with salt and pepper.

SICILIAN ESCAROLE SALAD

Steps:

• Add Wine vinegar to bottom of bowl.
• Peel garlic, and using a garlic press, add garlic to vinegar and allow to sit at least 10 minutes. (Alternatively, if you don't have a garlic press, mince garlic finely and then sprinkle with salt and rub the side of your knife across it to crush garlic to a fine paste, then add to vinegar as above.) Stir pepper, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes into vinegar. Add chopped onion, stir to mix together.
• Wash and thoroughly dry the escarole and separate the leaves, tearing them into 1-2 inch pieces. Add to vinegar and garlic, chop the cucumber into one inch pieces and season with black pepper.
• If using the optional anchovies, break them into sections and add to the olive oil. Otherwise, pour olive oil over salad, sprinkle with salt and mix gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Escarole salad can be easily varied to suit the ingredients that you have available, or what's seasonal at the market. But remember, it's best kept rather simple, with not too many ingredients.
• This can be topped with Parmesan croutons or served with [bruschetta]. When in season, optionally add fresh ripe tomato slices and use chopped fresh basil and oregano. Another nice addition is roasted red peppers. Or add 2" X 1/2" slices of salami, mortadella or a sharp Italian cheese such as Asiago or Provolone. Or add a can of cannelloni beans (drained), or a can of Italian Tonno (tuna) packed in olive oil.
• Note: When using anchovies, adjust salt, as anchovies can be very salty depending on how they're packed.