FIRE-AND-ICEBERG SALAD

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Fire-And-Iceberg Salad image

At my child's preschool they sometimes serve miniature piles of torn iceberg lettuce tossed with French dressing. I can understand why: The crunch is fun and the dressing candy-sweet. When made at home, where you can control the sugar and add some heat and smoked paprika, French dressing is a more interesting concoction. I like it spicy, because I find that a little chile fire goes a long way toward igniting the cold crisp heart of the iceberg. Torn radicchio-raging pink-adds color and maturity. Original recipe from Amy Thielen's The New Midwestern Table: http://bit.ly/15BfWIf

Provided by AmyThielen

Categories     < 60 Mins

Time 40m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

1/2 garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
fine sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup walnut halves
1 tablespoon salted butter
1/2 large head iceberg lettuce, outer leaves removed
1 small head radicchio
1 light green celery heart, thinly sliced
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Steps:

  • For the dressing, combine the garlic, tomato paste, both paprikas, honey, vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Whisk in 6 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with the cayenne, ΒΌ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour the dressing into a small pitcher for serving at the table.
  • To toast the walnuts, combine them with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the tablespoon of butter in a small skillet set over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing regularly, until the walnuts are fragrant and have turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let the nuts cool.
  • Tear the iceberg lettuce and the radicchio into bite-size pieces, and combine in a large salad bowl. Add the celery and the walnuts (cooking fat and all), and toss to combine. Sprinkle the blue cheese over the top and serve immediately, passing the dressing alongside.
  • Note: For perfect crispness, let each person drizzle the dressing over his or her own salad. Tossing the iceberg with the dressing before it reaches the table causes the lettuce to wilt.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 306.6, Fat 29.6, SaturatedFat 7.5, Cholesterol 19.3, Sodium 297.6, Carbohydrate 6.4, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 4.1, Protein 6

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