Peach + gorgonzola salad with bitter greens and honey-balsamic dressing
I know what you're thinking, “Salad? But, why?” And I get it. When you hear the word “salad” you immediately conjure up images of dry iceberg lettuce, an unripe tomato, and a few slices of cucumber served with a vinaigrette that does nothing to mask the lack of flavor. For too long, we have all been victims of sad salad; salad we feel like we have to eat because, well, we also want to eat that giant bowl of pasta. But no more. This peach + gorgonzola salad is a protest. The bitter greens perfectly balance out the sweetness of the peaches, dressing, and candied walnuts (which, wink-wink, are healthy because they’re in a salad). The gorgonzola & shallots add tang. The whole thing is a tornado of flavor in your mouth. Make it instead, and together we can end sad salads forever.
Ingredients
For the Salad
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
White balsamic vinegar
1 endive, cut into ¼ inch ribbons
½ radicchio, cut into ¼ inch ribbons
1 head of romaine, roughly chopped
2 ripe peaches, sliced into ¼ inch slices
¼ cup gorgonzola crumbles
1 cup candied walnuts (you can make or buy, I used this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen to quickly make my own)
Salt + pepper to taste
For the dressing
⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dijon mustard
⅔ cup of olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Instructions
Thinly slice the shallot and place in a bowl with just enough balsamic vinegar to cover (this will allow the shallots to macerate, taking some of the bite out of the flavor). Let sit for 10 minutes and then drain, reserving the vinegar for later. Set the shallots aside.
Once the shallots have soaked for 10 minutes you can make the dressing. Toss ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar*, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, ⅔ cup of olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper together in a jar and shake like crazy for a minute. *This is where you’ll want to use the reserved vinegar from the shallots, just top it off to make 1/3 cup.
Mix all the greens together. Pour about a tablespoon of the dressing over the greens and lightly toss. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Assemble by piling greens onto individual plates. Top each plate with the shallots, peach slices, candied walnuts, gorgonzola and drizzle with dressing to taste. Best served with a just and deserved sense of superiority over sad salads.
