Bon Appétit's Radicchio Salad with Sourdough Dressing
Author Notes: If you are a person who likes freshly baked bread, I would bet you're also a person plagued by forgotten heels of baguettes and boules skidding toward fossildom on the counter. You're always looking for more ways to keep up, especially ones that will weave into your diet subtly, that don't feel like another meal made of bread. Bon Appétit editors Dawn Perry and Claire Saffitz developed a way to plump up a spare vinaigrette, without getting cream or mayo or egg yolks involved -- so you can serve it to your vegan friends (and young children, the pregnant and infirm, and anyone else you don't feel comfortable subjecting to your own cavalier attitudes about raw egg). After a few quick pulses in a food processor and a soak with vinegar, garlic, mustard, and water, the bread bits soften. Then, as you blend in the olive oil, they smooth out into a rich emulsion, like an extra-punchy white gazpacho. The bread contributes not just thickening strength, but flavor. Here, the creamy tang of sourdough bounces nicely off of bitter radicchio, but you could harness pumpernickel or rye or rosemary focaccia in the same way, making not-boring salads that don't need much more. Adapted slightly from Bon Appétit (December, 2014) —Genius Recipes
Serves: 4
-
3
ounces sourdough bread, crust removed, torn into small pieces (about 1 cup), divided
-
1
tablespoon
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
-
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
1
small garlic clove
-
2
tablespoons red wine vinegar
-
1
teaspoon Dijon mustard
-
1
teaspoon sugar
-
1
head radicchio, leaves separated, torn if large
-
2
scallions, thinly sliced
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss half of the bread with 1 tablespoon of oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake, tossing once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Keep a close eye on them -- they can burn quickly.
- Pulse garlic, vinegar, mustard, sugar, remaining bread, and 2 tablespoons of water in a blender to combine; let sit 5 minutes to soften the bread. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup oil; blend until smooth (the bread will blend into the dressing, thickening and flavoring it, while retaining some texture), about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
- Toss radicchio, scallions, croutons, and dressing in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
More Great Recipes:
Vegetable|Christmas|Fall|Thanksgiving|Valentine's Day|Winter|Vegetarian|Salad|Vegan
Showing out of comments
Beyond using leftover heels, etc., for bread crumbs, I have never known what to do with them.....as a consequence, I always, always have fresh bread crumbs! Now I don't need to have a 5 year supply - I have anther use! Sounds delicious!
Why do you say to remove crust? Would results differ if I just made bread crumbs using the entire leftover loaf?
I'm definitely going to try this trick, but I wonder what other leaves it would work well with?
Anything hardy and crunchy...maybe romaine, or it could probably work with frisée or puntarelle?
I'll definitely keep an eye out, I don't often see radicchio around, so the qualities of 'hardy and crunchy' are useful descriptors to search for!
Thank you btw!
You're welcome, hope you have a good result!
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
Made this last night with some really dry olive levain, only alteration was adding a little extra water to the dressing. Very good salad, and the bread crumb in the dressing is a great back-pocket recipe. Thanks, Kristen!
yeah. this looks terrific and I gaze at my 3 1/2 flutes while hubby tucking into the new fougage, I see light at the end of the crummy tunnel
I'm a bread baker and I love this idea for using those "heels" that even the dog
won't eat. Hope this is in the cookbook........coming soon????? Cannot WAIT to receive my copy, purchased as soon as it was offered! Probably will have to buy more for friends.
Yum, I love this recipe. I love the dressing idea. I'll be trying it out!
This looks like a winner. I waste so much bread, and this seems a perfect recycling.
Showing 12 out of 12 comments