Escarole Salad with Charred Grapes, Apples and Blue Cheese

Name: Escarole Salad with Charred Grapes, Apples and Blue Cheese
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: European, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil; ½ cup seedless black OR red grapes; 1 medium shallot, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar OR white balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon OR fresh chives; Kosher salt and ground black pepper; 1 medium head escarole, tough outer leaves removed and discarded OR 2 small heads frisée OR a combination, torn into bite-size pieces; 1 large crisp apple such as Honeycrisp OR Asian pear, cored and thinly sliced; 4 ounces creamy blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola OR cambozola, cut into 4 wedges

3 steps

Prep:25min

A warm, charred grape vinaigrette dresses this winter salad. Apple slices add crunch and sweetness and are a welcome contrast to the bitter escarole and creamy blue cheese. Purchase a chunk of blue cheese, not crumbles, that can be cut into wedges for placing atop the greens. The dish is hearty enough to be a light main course, especially with chunks of crusty bread alongside.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:38:36 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories167.2 kcal (8%)

Total Fat9.6 g (14%)

Carbs13.9 g (5%)

Sugars8.5 g (9%)

Protein7.5 g (15%)

Sodium538.5 mg (27%)

Fiber3.8 g (14%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

1 teaspoonextra-virgin olive oil

½ cupseedless black grapes

OR red

1shallot

medium, finely chopped

2 tablespoonsChampagne vinegar

OR white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoonsfresh tarragon

chopped, OR fresh chives

kosher salt

ground black pepper

1 headescarole

medium, tough outer leaves removed and discarded OR 2 small heads frisée OR a combination, torn into bite-size pieces

1apple

large crisp, such as Honeycrisp OR Asian pear, cored and thinly sliced

4 ouncesblue cheese

creamy, such as Gorgonzola OR cambozola, cut into 4 wedges

Instructions

Step 1

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the grapes and cook, occasionally shaking the pan, until the grapes char in spots and burst, about 4 minutes. If the grapes have charred but haven’t burst, gently press on them with a potato masher until they break open. Off heat, stir in the shallot, vinegar, tarragon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons water.

Step 2

2. Put the escarole in a large bowl, pour the warm grape vinaigrette over and toss. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add the apple and toss, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with a wedge of blue cheese.

Step 3

Don’t forget to pull away the darkest, toughest layers of the escarole. This salad is meant to showcase the tender, innermost leaves.