Name: Easy Escarole Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1/2 head Escarole ((~6oz or 4-5 cups; washed dried and hand-torn into pieces)); 2 shallots ((peeled and cut ino thinly sliced, can sub with 1/2 cup red onions)); 2 tbsp walnut halves ((raw or dry roasted)); 1 tbsp raisins; 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper (or to taste); 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar ((can sub with equal amount fresh lemon juice)); 1.5 tsp Dijon mustard; 1/2 tsp maple syrup; 1 clove garlic ((finely minced))

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This mineral-rich easy escarole salad perfectly pairs with walnuts and raisins and comes together in less than 15 minutes.

A note on escarole

I find escarole in my farm share around this time of year. Escarole is quite popular in Italian cuisines, used in raw and cooked variations. You can create yummy salads or cook them in different variations, such as soups or veggie sautes.

Although escarole often mimics the look of a lettuce head, it belongs to the chicory family, with other members being Belgian endive, curly endive, and radicchio.

Escarole is firmer in texture than lettuce and bitter in notes, much like its siblings: endive and radicchio.

Expert Tip: To make the salad, use the leaves from the center of the escarole head. They tend to be a tad less bitter and softer than the leaves in the outer ring.

Like other greens, escarole is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A and C. It is great for bone health as it is rich in calcium and potassium—minerals sorely lacking in our diets.

Ingredients

This salad boasts an ingredient list of less than 10.

The mineral-rich Escarole forms the base of the salad. Using the middle part of the escarole head is best for a less bitter taste.
Shallots offer the right amount of spiciness. Replacing them with an equal amount of red onion is fine. Just remember that red onion tends to be slightly more spicy. You can marinate the red onions in the dressing for an hour before using them. This removes the extra spiciness from the red onions.
Walnuts add the healthy fat, and raisins offer some sweetness to balance the bitterness of the greens. Be sure not to use too many raisins to turn the salad into dessert. Freshly ground black pepper adds some spiciness.
Balsamic vinegar forms the base for the dressing and can be replaced by an equal amount of fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Dijon mustard and garlic add the right amount of zing to the dressing. I have not used salt, but you can add a pinch of salt to the dressing if desired.

Tips for making the best escarole salad

Before making this easy escarole salad, washing the escarole leaves properly is super important. As with other greens, the base of the escarole head often has dirt, which can find its way to the salad and your mouth if the leaves are not washed properly. I find a salad spinner an important part of the kitchen and always use one to wash any greens.

Make the salad dressing for garlic and mustard first to mingle with balsamic vinegar.

Meal prep tips and variations

It's best to make this salad fresh. Ensure you have all the ingredients to make this easy escarole salad in your pantry and refrigerator. If you want, you can wash and dry the leaves and store them in an airtight bag. I highly recommend Bluapple VeggieZips produce bags for storing your produce.

Variations

To avoid sugar, omit the raisins from the salad and maple syrup from the dressing. Instead of raisins, add roasted beets or grated carrots for sweetness.
To make this salad a meal, add 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas or white beans to the salad.

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