I served this Escarole and Blue Cheese Salad with a Sherry Wine Vinaigrette for dinner the other night and my girlfriend Lynn loved it. She had never had raw escarole before.
Blue cheese goes nicely with the bitterness of escarole, it adds a salty creaminess, the cranberries a little tartness, and the crunchy walnuts add more crunch. The tangy vinaigrette brings it all together. While there’s lots going on in this salad, it’s very simple to make.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and this salad is an excellent way to start or accompany your menu. The refreshing crispy escarole with a coating of the zesty dressing is a great foil for all those rich and tasty traditional Thanksgiving sides.
Vinaigrette
A simple mix of olive oil, Sherry wine vinegar, Dijon, shallots, salt and pepper.
Use two tablespoons minced shallot for this dressing. If the shallot is large, mince only half.
Place the oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a jar and shake well. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Salad
Thoroughly wash the escarole, it grows in a sandy soil.
Spin dry and stack the greens and slice across the leaves.
Place the sliced escarole in a salad bowl. Shake the vinaigrette and drizzle the greens with just enough dressing to coat the salad but not pool at the bottom of the bowl.
Sprinkle the top of the salad with the nuts, cheese, and cranberries. I like to add the toppings last because they always fall to the bottom of the bowl. Sitting on top of the dressed salad makes a lovely presentation.
Escarole and Blue Cheese Salad with Sherry Wine Vinaigrette
A tangy, crunchy salad that’s quick and easy to make.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 small minced shallot, about 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
1 head escarole, chopped
1 cup whole toasted walnuts, chopped
¾ cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
Vinaigrette
Two tablespoons minced shallot is enough for this dressing. If the shallot is large, mince only half.
Place the oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a jar and shake well. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Salad
Thoroughly wash the escarole, it grows in a sandy soil. Spin dry and stack the greens and slice across the leaves.
Place the sliced escarole in a salad bowl
Shake the vinaigrette and drizzle the greens with just enough dressing to coat the salad but not pool at the bottom of the bowl.
Sprinkle the top of the salad with the nuts, cheese, and cranberries.
I like to add the toppings last because they always fall to the bottom of the bowl. Sitting on top of the dressed salad makes a lovely presentation.
Keywords: salad, vinaigrette, escarole salad, escarole salad with blue cheese, escarole salad with blue cheese and walnuts, dried cranberries, sherry wine vinaigrette
