You all know my love for big salads. It actually started years ago when I was 18. I remember it like it was yesterday: I was at this pub with a girlfriend in Montreal suburbia and ordered a cajun chicken sandwich. I NEVER ordered salads because, well, they were just green, unfilling, too healthy-tasting and lacking in deliciousness as far as my teenage food preferences were concerned. So you could imagine my face when the waitress mistakenly came back with this substantial cajun chicken salad. Despite my disappointment though, I slowly worked my way through the huge plate of spicy chicken, avocado, Monterey Jack, romaine, tomato, bacon and whatever else was in there and actually enjoyed every last bite. From then on, my idea of salad took on a whole new dimension and I began experimenting in the kitchen with big hearty bowls of veg, herbs, grains, chicken, meat, fish, cheese, and any other suitable candidate I had in the pantry. That was 22 years ago…and the wonderful thing is that over the years, a ton of new “salad-able” ingredients have come on to the market, from sundried tomatoes to quinoa to old reborn vegetables like brussel sprouts, beets and squash. So today my friends, there is no excuse for not getting your daily intake of plant-based foods.
Anyway, that’s how I came to creating gargantuesque lunch bowls like the one below. (sorry I got a bit out of hand with the long story…)
There might be a lot of elements in this particular recipe, but fear not, they each contribute in their own special way to the taste bud explosion that will occur when you take that first forkful. For one, I think the gazillion recipes that involve rocket, beets, walnuts and goat cheese have proven that these foods are just meant to be together; as for the shaved fennel and bresaola, they give it some extra substance and sophistication; and all the other ingredients just make the plate look splendid.
Note 1: Make sure to cut your fennel very thin, ideally with a mandolin. Shaved fennel salads are a thing for a reason – slicing it in ribbons gives this highly underrated vegetable justice and will ensure you don’t bite into its rough fibers.
Note 2: You could use steamed or pickled beets but be aware that they will make your salad go pink when you toss it. Roasted beets won’t do that as much.
Serves 3/4 as a main
Ingredients
- 1 medium fennel
- 6 cups of rocket
- 1 cup herbs (parsley and cilantro are my favorite combination)
- 2 medium beets, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes + 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup pomegranate
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup rice/quinoa/millet, cooked (optional – I only add it when I am extra hungry or have grains leftover from the day before)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
- 16 slices of bresaola (thinly sliced)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F
- Place beets on a cookie sheet and drizzle with oil, add salt and pepper. Put in oven for 30 minutes or until slightly browned but slightly firm in the middle.
- Slice the fennel VERY thinly, preferably with a mandolin. Toss in a pinch of salt and cover with a wet cloth while you prepare the rest.
- In a large bowl, toss together the rocket, herbs, fennel, pomegranate, cheese and walnuts
- In a small separate bowl, jar or shaker, mix oil and vinegar to make the dressing, adjusting salt and pepper to taste
- Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly.
- Serve the salad in a big mound on each plate and arrange 4 slices of bresaola on top of each one
