Layered Italian Salad

 Photo by Jennifer Haas

 Layered Italian Salad

by Victoria Challancin

This simple recipe has it all:  it's nice to look at; variations are endless; it's easy to prepare; and it serves as an excuse to show off a hand-blown bowl from San Miguel's own glass factory.  For me, what's not to love?  We made this salad, which is full of Mediterranean flavors that went well with an Italian menu, in a cooking class for Mexican cooks last week.  Tasty, pretty, and endlessly changeable, this dish proved particularly popular.

I seem to have a penchant for layered dishes.  There is something about the imposed order that is just such a far cry from my life in general, that I can't help but smile.  You might remember a similar Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad with a Creamy Cilantro-Tomatillo Dressing, which featured vertical rows something like this dish, or the lovely horizontal rows found in the Shrimp and Gruyère Cobb Salad with Low-Fat Green Goddess Dressing;  or even the orderly piles of gorgeous color found in the Tri-Colored Vegetable Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette.  Yes, sometimes it is good thing to toss chaos out the window and inflict a little form.

Variations

 This recipes positively screams, "Change me!"  Think of the ways you could make this a main dish:  add tuna, prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, chickpeas, white beans, salami, pepperoni, parsley, chicken, beef, pasta, cooked eggplant, whole basil leaves, shredded carrots, or hard-cooked eggs.

Recipe:  Layered Italian Salad

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

For the salad:  

4 cups Italian blend of lettuces

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 cucumber, peeled (unless using a European cucumber), and cut into thin slices

1 small red onion, cut into thin rings (deflamed in water first, if desired) or green onions

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, yellow and/or red, halved

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

1 cup Kalamata or other imported olives, without pits (or used a variety of imported Italian olives)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or other cheese of choice

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup croutons

For the dressing:

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons fresh parsley or basil

A large pinch sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (or dried basil and a pinch of oregano)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)

To make the salad:  make layers in a large glass salad bowl, beginning with the lettuce and ending with the croutons.  Pour dressing evenly over the salad.  Serve chilled.

To make the dressing:  Combine all ingredients in a jar (or place in a bowl and whisk them to emulsify) and shake.  Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

 An almost focused shot  I snapped of the dressed salad...

Parting Shot:

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

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