Serves a Crowd
Mushroom, Ramp, and Mozzarella Salad
- Serves Makes 4, entrée-sized salads
Author Notes
Good salads are all about balance, I think. Here, bitter-bright endive and radicchio play against the umami of baked olives and browned mushrooms. The richness of mozzarella and egg yolk serve as foil to the mellow garlic-bite of ramps, and the acidity of lemon juice. A thin sheen of pesto brings the whole plate together. This salad is best served on a rainy spring day: It’s bright, flavorful, and texturally varied; satisfying, but not filling. —Cristina Sciarra
What You'll Need
Ingredients
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1 small boule olive bread
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1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
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kosher salt, black pepper
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1 punnet (or 2 cups) button or crimini mushrooms
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1 bunch ramps
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4 eggs
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1/4 cup pesto
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1/4 cup lemon juice
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4 cups arugula
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4 heads Belgian endive
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2 heads radicchio
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8 ounces fresh mozzarella
Directions
- Make the croutons: Heat the oven to 375F.
- Cut the boule into 1-inch thick slices, and then cut each slice into 1×1-inch cubes. Toss the cubes with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, as well as a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper. Move the bread to a foil-lined baking sheet, and the baking sheet into the oven. Toast for 10 minutes, and then toss the cubes with tongs. Bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the mushrooms and ramps: Wash any dirt off of the mushrooms, and then dry them well. Wash the ramps, too, making sure the whites are free of dirt. Snip off any whiskery bits. Thinly slice both the mushrooms and the ramps.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms, making sure not to crowd them. Don’t stir them too often either, as this will prevent them from browning. When the mushrooms are well-browned and smell lovely (5-7 minutes), remove them from the pan and set them aside. Add the sliced ramps to the pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until they’re wilty. Remove them to a separate bowl.
- Hard boil the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a boil, and then lower the heat until the water is just simmering. Add the eggs, and cook for 9-10 minutes. Immediately after cooking, move the eggs to an ice bath, to arrest cooking. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel them.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together the pesto with the lemon juice.
- Mozzarella and Lettuces: Dice the mozzarella into small cubes, and move to a small bowl (or, just to the side of the cutting board. No judgement here).
- Move the arugula to a large mixing bowl. Slice the endive, crosswise, and add that, too. Shred the radicchio, and use your hands to incorporate all three lettuces.
- Putting everything together: Gently coat the lettuces in the presto dressing–it’s really best to use your hands for this. Add the mozzarella, the croutons, the mushrooms and the ramps. Distribute the salad between four plates. Slice up the eggs, and artfully arrange 1 over each salad. Voila!
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Cristina is a writer, cook, and day job real estate developer. She studied literature, holds an MFA in Fiction Writing, and completed the Basic Cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She lives in Jersey City with her husband--a Frenchman she met in Spain--and their sweet black cat, Minou. Follow her writings, recipes, publications and photography at theroamingkitchen.com.
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