With a Tangerine Balsamic and Sesame Vinaigrette
Every bite is such an adventure! With the heat of the fresh jalapeño, the salty crunch of the peanuts, and that perfect umami flavor of the sesame vinaigrette made so complex by the tangerine balsamic, no one will believe you can put this salad together in less than 30 minutes! Perfection.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large zucchini cut into slender ribbons
- 1 leaf of radicchio, julienned
- 6 – 7 very thin slices of fresh jalapeño
- 1 – 2 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts
- 3 tablespoons Single Varietal Olive Oil, like the Olive This! Picual
- 1 tablespoons Olive This! Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh shallot
- A pinch of salt and pepper
- Handful of parsley
- Cracked pepper
- A couple thinly sliced tangerines to garnish
DIRECTIONS
This makes a very generous and lovely salad for 1, but if you’re serving it as a side salad, it will make two. Or you can double as needed.
Make the vinaigrette by combining the oil, balsamic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and the shallots along with the small pinch of salt and pepper. (Soy is salty so no need for much salt and pepper.) Set aside for a few minutes to let the shallots infuse the dressing.
Prep all ingredients before beginning. Using a very sharp, wide vegetable peeler, cut about 10 to 15 thin strips of zucchini. Set it aside. Cut the shallot, chop the peanuts, finely chop the parsley, thinly slice the jalapeño, and thinly slice the tangerine.
To serve, arrange the ribbons of zucchini artfully in a pretty bowl, twirling them around and folding them so they nest in the bowl nicely. Put the small mound of the radicchio in the center. Sprinkle with the peanuts, and dot with the jalapeño. Add some cracked black pepper to the top to make it fun. Then ladle the dressing all over the salad. DO NOT TOSS. Garnish with a flourish of chopped parsley and a couple of thinly sliced tangerine. Serve.
NOTE: You can make this a main dish salad by adding some thinly sliced beef and then put dressing on top. Or to be sassy, add some goat cheese, dotting it around the salad. You could also add shrimp, or even top with seared scallops if you’re feeling really fancy!
©Recipe Copyright Camine Pappas, 2013 – 2024. All rights reserved.