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Prep time
15 minutes
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Cook time
20 minutes
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Serves
3 to 4
Author Notes
Welcome to Plus One, a column by Food Editor Emily Ziemski where those small-but-mighty additions that instantly upgrade whatever’s on the table—ingredients, sauces, toppings—are the star of the show. Today, cereal becomes… a sweet crouton.
Every year, there comes a time when the sun sets after 7 p.m., we plunge into spring, and I’m not quite ready for a cold, refreshing salad, but I’m also a little bit (read: a lot) over soup season. In these times, I’m still craving something a little bit heartier, warmer, and filling. I land on a “baked salad,” a colorful medley of vegetables that morphs from raw to roasted with the help of the oven.
When I think of hearty salads, I think protein: egg, chicken, tuna, you name it. When I’m eating at a diner or luncheonette, my favorite iteration of this is asking for a scoop of chicken or tuna salad on *top* of a green salad. Inspired by this, I made a tonnato—a blended sauce of tuna, anchovies, and fresh lemon—as a supporting character to roasted radicchio and Brussels sprouts.
I balance the deeply savory elements of this dish with a little sweetness and crunch in the form of cereal. Because what is cereal at its core if not sweet croutons? A honey-clustered version works best here, with its bunches of deliciously crisp and lightly sweet bits. As there’s already a bit of work making the tonnato and roasting vegetables, boxed cereal is the ideal solution to add a final pop without any extra lift. —Emily Ziemski
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Ingredients
- For the baked salad:
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2
heads radicchio, cored and leaves separated
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1 cup
Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
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2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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1 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more to taste
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1/2 teaspoon
freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
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1/4 cup
honey-clustered cereal (like Honey Bunches of Oats), crushed, for garnish
- For the tonnato:
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5 ounces
tuna packed in water
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3 tablespoons
mayonnaise
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2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice
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1
garlic clove, peeled and minced
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4
oil-packed anchovies
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1/4 teaspoon
ground smoked paprika
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Kosher salt, to taste
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Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions
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Bake the salad: Heat the oven to 425°F. On a large sheet pan (or two small sheet pans), arrange the radicchio leaves and Brussels sprouts in an even layer, keeping them spread out. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer sheet pan(s) to the oven and roast for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are tender and the radicchio is wilted.
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Make the tonnato: Meanwhile, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, and paprika in a small food processor or Vitamix. Blend on medium until smooth. (The consistency should be slightly thin and easily spreadable.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Spoon the tonnato onto a serving plate and use the back of the spoon to create a swoosh. Top with the baked radicchio and Brussels sprouts. Garnish with the crushed cereal.
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