Mar 18

Mar 18 Red Chicory, Orange and Walnut Salad

Small Plates and Sides, Not So Guilty Pleasures, Vegetarian & Plant Based

Celebrate the Spring Equinox this week with this colourful, fresh spring salad. Bitter Red Chicory is delicious with citrus sweet orange, spinach, walnuts and a dressing made with syrupy balsamic vinegar.

This is easy and quick to make and is tasty on it’s own or as an accompaniment for warm goat’s cheese toasts or even the deeper flavours of duck or pork.

If you are making this as a vegan dish, just make sure your balsamic vinegar is a vegan variety as some of the cheaper varieties have flavourings and gelatine added.

Method

Serves 2 as side or starter

Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 5 mins

Pre-heat oven to 200c/180c Fan/Gas Mark 6

Put the walnuts on a baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven. Set a timer for 5 minutes. When they are ready, take them out and set aside to cool.

Prepare the chicory. Trim off the hard root ends and gently pull away the leaves. Rinse to remove any sandiness from the leaves.

Peel the orange with a knife. Cut a slice from the top and the bottom of the orange and stand it on one of the flat sides so it is steady. Cut the remaining peel away from the orange, making sure you remove all the white pith as well. Cut the orange into half and then into segments.

Remove any hard bits of orange and pith from the edges of the segments. Cut each segment in half.

Weigh out your spinach and wash if necessary.

Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together until combined. Check the seasoning and sharpness and adjust if necessary.

Assemble the salad. I like to put on the chicory leaves, followed by the spinach and orange.

Crush the cooled walnuts with the palm of your hand so they break into smaller pieces. Sprinkle over the salad.

Finally, drizzle over the dressing and serve.

Ingredients

Salad

140g Red Chicory (unprepared weight)

15g baby spinach

20g walnuts

1 Emperor or Naval orange