Herb Salad with Pickled Shallots
Since I discovered these pickled shallots, and the joy they bring to the herb salad I can’t stop making this dish. I always have pickled shallots in the fridge, ready for some magic.
Pickled shallots are mild, soft, lightly pink and go extremely well with the green-leaf-inspo of the day. No pressure; just a happy medley of the greens you like and can easily find locally.
After the long covid-pandemic-hibernation we are finally fully vaccinated and ready to safely host our friends for overdue meals and parties. The guests would asks for seconds and the salad disappears each time. Pouf! All gone. I have a good success record with my salads over the years, but no Herb Salad leftovers at a dinner party is pretty unusual. The name will probably be upgraded to the “Magic Salad” pretty soon! Hahahaha
I hope you enjoy this flavor combination as much as we do.
It is on my repeat list.
Repeat the magic!
Bon appétit ;)
Herb Salad with Pickled Shallots
recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Pickled Shallots Ingredients
125 g (4,5 oz) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced*
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Pickled Shallots Directions
Prep all the ingredients.
You will need one medium sized bowl, just large enough to hold the shallots and the liquids. Not too big, you want the shallots to be submerged with the pickling juices.
Place the thinly sliced shallots, bay leaves, garlic, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the hot water on top and mix. Add the white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Mix gently. Cover with food safe plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
*You can make the shallots pretty by slicing them into very thin rings… think about the end result and don’t chop them randomly. Take a little bit of time and attention and slice the shallots into very thin disks. Once they are pickled they will separate into beautiful light pink rings.
Herb Salad Dressing
6 tablespoons pickling juices (from the bowl with the shallots,… just take 6 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or 1/4 teaspoon regular sea salt)
A few generous cracks of black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a medium jar, add the pickling juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Close the jar and shake super well. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Close the jar and shake again. Taste and correct the seasoning if needed. Shake!!! SHAKE! Your salad dressing is ready. Keep in the jar until ready to use. Remember to shake well before drizzling some of the sauce on your salad.
This recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of salad dressing. You can use it all at once if you have a big party… or you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days and use it as your new favorite salad dressing for your daily salad needs.
The HERB Salad
HAVE FUN! Really,… Pick whatever makes you happy. Don’t be afraid to mix and match and play. Depending on my mood or what I can find at the supermarket the salad base (and major green leaves) I use:
For the base: Romaine Lettuce or Spring Mix
I add just a little bit of baby spinach, baby kale, arugula and / or watercress.
Top it all with few leaves of basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, and dill…
There are no quantities really,… prepare as much salad as you will consume that same day. Since there is no chopping, or elaborate cooking, once the shallots are pickled you are pretty freelancing the salad “green-composition”. It can be as small as a side dish for 1 or as big as a salad for 8 or 10 pers. Once you finish arranging the lettuce and herbs in your serving dish, top it all with pickled shallots (just the shallots. NOT the juices. Not the bay leaves and NOT the garlic. In case I needed to mention that part…) Drizzle some salad dressing and serve.
Enjoy!
Note: If you have a party or preparing parts of your meal in advance, you can set the greens and herbs, top them with pickled shallots, cover the serving dish and place in the fridge until ready to serve. Drizzle some of the salad dressing just before serving.
recipe adapted from Feast (Lindsay Anderson and Dana Vanveller.)
