Spring leaf salad with shallot dressing
By Allied Press
The Otago Daily Times and Alison have collaborated to bring you her first cookbook – Seasons.
Alison Lambert is one of our beloved ODT food writers, where her featured columns in Fresh have inspired home cooks across Dunedin and Otago for almost 15 years.
Her approach is all about simplicity, celebrating the natural flavours of each season with delicious recipes that encourage you to embrace cooking with what’s readily available.
One of these recipes is her Spring leaf salad with shallot dressing.
Spring leaf salad with shallot dressing
"With a salad of leaves you do not really need a recipe. However, you do need
really tasty, fresh, crisp garden leaves. Spring is a great time to wander around
your garden and pick new growth. I gather baby radicchio, kale, lettuce leaves
and bundles of fresh light spring herbs. Together, these create such a wonderful
array of flavours and textures. They also look incredible. Always finish off any
salad with a good dressing. This shallot dressing is one of my favourites." - Alison Lambert
Ingredients:
- 75g (1 cup) per person of the best garden leaves,
- Dressing:
- 100ml olive oil
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch sea salt flakes
- Cracked pepper
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
Method:
- Gently wash the leaves in cold water.
- Remove as much water as possible, as the
dressing won’t cling to the leaves if wet. - To make the dressing, put all the ingredients except the shallots into a small jar with a lid. Shake the jar vigorously to emulsify the dressing.
- Add the shallots and allow to sit for 10 minutes or until you’re ready to dress the salad.
- To serve, spoon over the dressing, toss lightly
and enjoy immediately.