GLUTEN-FREE WHITE SALAD WITH WHITE GAZPACHO DRESSING
This recipe started with the idea of using a monochrome palette to create a salad. And once I landed on the colour white it wasn’t much of a stretch to arrive at the need for a white dressing. Next came the idea of using a white gazpacho soup as the dressing by reducing the volume of liquid.
And so our White Salad with White Gazpacho Dressing was born. All lovely and whitish, crunchy and healthy, and just in time for the Christmas festivities.
Feel free to adapt the salad ingredients to what is best in the market. Just remember to have a variety of shapes and textures.
Caren
WHITE SALAD WITH WHITE GAZPACHO DRESSING
Serves 10+ as a side dish.
Use the following ingredient list as a guide and experiment with your own selection of ‘white’ salad vegetables.
1 witlof, leaves separated
¼ Savoy cabbage, white leaves finely shaved
½ small daikon radish, peeled and cut into half moons
1 celery heart, finely sliced
1 yellow bullhorn pepper, thinly sliced into rounds
1 fennel bulb, outer sections discarded, finely shaved
1 apple cucumber, peeled and de-seeded, julienned
50 gm button mushrooms, white parts only, sliced
6 spring onions, white parts only, finely sliced
100 gm Manchego cheese, shaved
50 gm blanched almonds, very lightly roasted, roughly chopped
White or yellow herb flowers, optional
White Gazpacho Dressing
Prepare all the vegetables as recommended above.
Except for the almonds and flowers, use gloved hands to toss all the salad ingredients and at least half of the White Gazpacho Dressing in a large mixing bowl. Add more dressing if required then tip onto a wide serving platter.
Top with the almonds, and flowers if using.
White Gazpacho Dressing
Makes approximately 500ml
120 gm blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes, drained
50 ml olive oil
40 ml extra virgin olive oil
60 ml sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon white ground pepper
2 teaspoon green Tabasco
300 ml water
Blend the almonds, garlic and olive oils in a food processor until combined. Add vinegar, seasonings, Tabasco and water. Continue to blend until very smooth.
Taste and add more seasoning and vinegar if required. Add more water if the dressing is too thick. The dressing can be made the day before required, however it may need additional water as the almonds absorb the liquid.
TIPS:
1.
Consider doing some of the work ahead of time. Salad vegetables that won’t discolour, the cheese and the dressing can be prepared the day before serving and kept in the fridge in airtight bags or containers.
2.
Other vegetables to consider using include cauliflower, celeriac, apple, bean sprouts and white asparagus.
3.
This salad is made suitable for vegans by omitting the cheese.
4.
For a more substantial dish add some white anchovies and a cup or two of cooked white cannellini beans. Or add extra protein with fine strips of poached chicken or calamari.
5.
For a complete White Gazpacho soup recipe CLICK HERE.