Bitter Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

SIDE · sides

A crisp, bitter salad built from arugula, radicchio, and shaved fennel, tossed in a bright lemon vinaigrette with enough acid to cut through fried chicken, melted cheese, and red sauce without getting precious about it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups arugula
• 1 small head radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts, optional
• For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the dressing In a small bowl or jar, combine lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and honey. Whisk in the olive oil until combined. Season with salt and black pepper. Taste it. It should be sharp enough to wake the plate up.
2. Prep the salad Put the arugula, radicchio, and fennel in a large bowl. Add the shaved parmesan and nuts if using.
3. Dress it properly Add enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens and toss well. Don’t drown it. Wet salad is lazy salad.
4. Serve Plate it immediately. Finish with more black pepper if needed.