Bitter greens are one of my favorite salad ingredients. The peppery flavor of arugula, watercress, radicchio or escarole combined with a tart-sweet dressing is delicious.
This striking salad includes crispy bitter greens, radishes and candied spiced pistachios with a bright turmeric dressing.
I love cooking with turmeric. Its pleasant earthy flavor and vibrant color make any dish so much more interesting. Some of my favorite recipes that include turmeric are lemongrass tofu, pickled cauliflower, and miso dressing.
You may use any assortment of leafy bitter greens to make this salad. Escarole is not a green that I see often here on Maui but I did find it at Safeway. It has a crisp texture and mild bitterness that pairs well with the bright lemony dressing.
Oh yum! Easy to make candied spiced nuts add pizazz to the salad. If you have a penchant for snacking on irresistible candied nuts, make a double batch.
Leafy Greens with Turmeric Dressing
4
servingsColorful crispy salad with a hint of spice from candied nuts
Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking
Ingredients
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, pecans or walnuts
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium lemon
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces bitter greens (escarole, endive, mature arugula, watercress, radicchio)
2 small radishes, thinly sliced (add sliced radishes to an ice bath for 5-10 minutes for extra crispy texture, pat dry with paper towels before using)
2 ounces Parmesan, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped dill (or substitute with fresh mint or parsley)
To serve: Grilled bread, hard boiled eggs (optional)
Directions
- Combine the pistachios and 1 tablespoon honey in a small skillet over medium low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the honey reduces and crystalizes around the nuts, 3-4 minutes. Watch closely so the nuts do not burn. Once the nuts darken but still show a little green, remove the pan from the heat and immediately sprinkle with the crushed red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (have these ingredients ready). Transfer nuts to a parchment lined plate. Separate nuts with a fork before they cool to prevent clumping. If using large whole walnuts, coarsely chop once cool.
- Using a microplane, zest lemon into a large bowl. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice (about 2 tablespoons) into the bowl. Whisk in the mustard, turmeric, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining 1 teaspoon honey until a golden dressing forms. Taste and adjust seasoning with more honey, lemon juice and oil.
- When ready to serve, add the greens and radishes, season with salt and pepper, and toss until the greens are well dressed. Transfer greens to a low sided serving dish and scatter nuts and cheese over the top.
2 Comments
Kiyo: You continue to impress me with your wide spectrum of recipes. You certainly are not a typical local Maui girl. LOL! Once in a while I like a nice crisp salad too and this recipe sounds pretty good. Maybe I will try it.
Aloha Alan! I also love a crispy salad, especially alongside a pasta main dish. I didn’t much care for bitter greens when I was a child but love them now. Another favorite salad is the Italian Style Iceberg Salad. You might give it a try one day. The dressing is “ono!” Mahalo for taking the time to send your comment Alan!