Joanne Weir recipes include Mediterranean ingredients and fresh flavors that go together. The escarole salad recipe below is one example of this.
Escarole Salad Recipe Tips
Kale had a moment and spinach is always a winner. But one of the best ways to up your salad game is to swap in a different kind of salad green. Escarole is more popular in Italy and France. It’s part of the chicory family. The flavor of this salad green is a bit bitter. All that means is the greens need to be balanced with acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar. You’ll also be glad to realize that escarole is less bitter than radicchio or other greens in the chicory family.
A Few Simple Steps toward Salad
Endive leaves add a peppery bite. Joanne also adds crunch with celery cut diagonally so you get just a taste of their herbaceous flavor. Toasted walnuts add a different flavor and crunch.
The vinaigrette consists of white wine vinegar whisked together with olive oil and a dash of a nutty oil—Joanne suggests either almond, hazelnut, or walnut work well that’s seasoned with kosher salt, and black pepper.
Two final ingredients complete the salad. Rich and tangy Manchego cheese is shaved and tossed in. Sun-Maid and Orchard Choice Mission Figs are her pick for the salad as they bring a bold fig flavor, but you could also try Golden Figs.
Joanne is a huge fan of California Dried Figs and she likes to keep them frozen. Discover other Joanne Weir recipes.
Escarole Salad with California Dried Figs, Walnuts and Shaved Manchego
Ingredients
- 1 small head escarole torn into 1 1/2 pieces
- 2 Belgian endive leaves separated
- 2 celery stalks cut on a sharp diagonal into thin slices
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon almond walnut or hazelnut oil
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts coarsely chopped
- 3 ounce chunk aged Manchego cheese
Instructions
- In a bowl, toss together the escarole, endive, and celery. Place in the refrigerator.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, nut oil and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, toss the escarole, endive, and celery with the dressing, sliced dried figs and walnuts. Place in a salad bowl and using a cheese shaver or vegetable peeler, shave Manchego cheese onto the top of the salad.
