Appropriate side dish or salad with paella
I'm looking for a vegetable side dish or salad that will go well with paella. Something relatively simple would be appreciated.
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I love to place some arugula on a serving plate, Then orange segments (save the juice for the dressing), next thinly sliced red onion and black olives(I usually have kalamatas) . For the dressing I mix olive oil, the remaining juice from oranges, a splash of sherry vinegar and salt and pepper. It is such a light and pretty salad. Enjoy.
Juli's salad sounds wonderful! I also am addicted to arugula and usually serve with some peeled, sliced pears and a bit of crumbled blue cheese, although the orange dressing would be a lovely complement to the paella.
Paella is a heavy dish, usually served by itself. May be an appetizer with some pears and blue cheese as wssmom says or serrano with cantaloupe. Don't overcomplicate it, the paella if well done is the star of the dinner.
I like the salads for a clean taste to offset (and enhance) the richness of the paella.
My basic dressing - can be multiplied. Pile greens of your choice (I like red leaf, bibb with some watercress on plate, mix with dressing to coat, sprinkle marcona almonds (i usually dont toast them), and using vegetable peeler shave chhese on top. Dressing can be made up 2 days ahead & refrigerated. I do add some minced shallots and sometimes a bit of dijon mustard.
For the vinaigrette:
6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. sherry wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
I also found this: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/fig-salad-with-cabrales-cheese-and-marcona-almonds.html?cm_src=RECIPESEARCH
Agree with salad perhaps with shaed Manchego and Marcona Almonds with a Spanish Sherry Vingarette.
I make paella all the time, usually cooked outside. What I like to serve alongside is a tray of big, fat green olives with roasted marcona almonds and some ridiculously wonderful boquerones (white anchovies in vinegar). It's the knockout punch before your guests even get to the paella. Then they are down for the eight count.
