Radicchio Carrot Ribbon Salad – Layer Upon Layer of Flavor, Texture, Color
“Wow. I’ve never had a salad like this. Really good. Delicious. Beautiful.” Such were the comments about Radicchio Carrot Ribbon Salad with Labneh and Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette during last Saturday’s cooking class. With bold flavors and bright colors, this salad makes 
a great beginning to a meal, or a meal in itself.
Radicchio Carrot Ribbon Salad combines layer upon layer of flavor, texture and color. Colorful bitter and crisp greens, multi-hued carrot ribbons, an abundance of fresh herbs, tart/sweet dried cranberries and toasted almonds tossed in a superb Cumin-Scented Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette. Then the whole dotted with creamy mounds of smooth and tangy labneh.
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Our next cooking class, “Season’s Eatings” will be December 8, 2018.
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Radicchio Carrot Ribbon Salad with Labneh & Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
Colorful bitter and crisp greens, multi-hued carrot ribbons, an abundance of fresh herbs, tart/sweet dried cranberries and toasted almonds tossed in a superb Cumin-Scented Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette. Then the whole dotted with creamy mounds of smooth and tangy labneh. Naturally gluten-free.
When available, pomegranate arils would make a brightly flavored substitute for the dried cranberries. Note: the dressing recipe makes a little more than you’ll need for the salad. But, it’s so delicious, you’ll be grateful to have a little left over.
Inspired by and adapted from a recipe from Chef Giorgia Goggi in Puglia, Italy.
Makes 4-8 servings Printer-Friendly Recipes
Active time 30 minutes
Total time 2 ½ hours (including time to drain the yogurt for the labneh)
Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt with live and active cultures, strained for 2 hours to make labneh (recipe below)
Dressing
2 ¼ teaspoons homemade mustard or other country-style mustard
1 ½ tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 ¼ teaspoons light, local honey
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
3 tablespoons minced preserved lemon rind
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds 
6 ounces radicchio leaves
3 ounces inner romaine leaves from baby romaine
10 ounces rainbow carrots (to equal 3 cups of carrot ribbons)
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs, i.e., parsley, chives, basil, mint, cilantro, oregano
¼ cup dried cranberries (preferably fruit sweetened)
Instructions
- At least 2 hours before you make the salad, prepare the labneh from the recipe below. The labneh can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for about a week before using it.
- Wash and dry the radicchio, romaine and herbs. Toast the slivered or sliced almonds in a 325-degree oven for 8-10 minutes until golden, set them aside to cool.
- Prepare the Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette: Toast the
cumin seeds in a small sauté pan over moderate heat until dark brown and fragrant. Turn them out onto a plate to cool. When cool, finely grind the cumin seeds into a powder. - In a small bowl, use a whisk to combine the mustard, rice vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey, salt and finely ground cumin. Finely mince the rind from 2-3 quarters of a preserved lemon. (Save the flesh for another use). Whisk the preserved lemon into the mustard/vinegar mixture. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously to thicken the dressing. Set it aside.
- Prepare the salad ingredients: Cut the radicchio into large pieces. Place it in a large bowl along with the romaine leaves, cut as necessary.
- Use a Y-shaped peeler to make carrot ribbons. Use the
top of the carrot as a hand-hold. Turn the carrot towards you after each swipe of the peeler so that you have narrow (easier to eat) carrot ribbons. Avoid making ribbons from the tough cores of the carrots. Instead, use the leftover carrot for stock. - Add the carrot ribbons, ¾’s of the chopped herbs, ¾’s of the toasted almonds and all of the dried cranberries to the bowl with the radicchio and romaine.
- Just before serving: Sprinkle the salad ingredients with a little salt and pepper. Then toss them with about half of the Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette. Adjust the amount of dressing to taste. Spread the tossed salad out on a platter or on individual plates. Use a fork to randomly drop mounds of labneh on top of the salad. Drizzle with the rest of the herbs and almonds and some of the remaining dressing.
- Serve Radicchio Romaine Carrot Ribbon Salad right after its dressed to keep the radicchio crisp.
Labneh—Yogurt Cheese and Whey
For Radicchio Romaine Carrot Ribbon Salad, let the labneh drain for about 2 hours.
1 cup organic, plain whole milk yogurt with “live and active cultures”
Instructions
- Line a strainer with four layers of damp cheesecloth. Place the strainer over a glass or ceramic bowl or measuring cup.
- Transfer the yogurt into the cheesecloth-lined strainer.
- Gather together and tie up the ends of the cheesecloth.
- Let the yogurt drain for 2-12 hours sitting on a kitchen counter. The longer it drains the thicker its consistency.
- Remove the labneh from the cheesecloth. Store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Store the liquid whey in a clean jar in the fridge. Add the whey to smoothies, bread dough, homemade mustard and/or any number of recipes for fermented beverages, condiments, vegetables and fruits.