Cornbread Salad with Arugula and Herbs

by Jamie Gwen
from Good Food For Good Times
(Powerline Publishing, 2007)
Serves 4

This casual cornbread salad, served with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, makes a delicious first course. Simply add leftover chicken or sliced steak to the salad and use store-bought cornbread and it doubles as a delicious, simple weeknight meal. The addition of fresh herbs in their whole leaf form adds a wonderful bright flavor and aromatic element to the salad.—Jamie Gwen

convert Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the cornbread salad
Homemade or store-bought cornbread
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 head of radicchio, cut into quarters
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
4 cups baby arugula leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black or Niçoise olives
12 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, left whole
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, left whole

Want it? Click it.

Method
Make the vinaigrette
1. Combine the vinegar and mustard in a blender and pulse to combine. With the blender running, slowly add the oil, in a thin stream, to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the corbread salad
1. Heat an outdoor grill or stove-top grill to high. Cut the cornbread into 1-inch wide strips and brush the cornbread strips lightly on all sides with the olive oil. Brush the onion slices and the radicchio quarters with olive oil as well and season with salt and pepper.

2. Grill the cornbread, just until grill marks appear, about 1 minute per side. Grill the onion slices until tender and golden, about 5 minutes per side. Grill the radicchio until just beginning to wilt, about 1 minute total.

3. Cut the grilled cornbread into 1-inch cubes and roughly chop the grilled onions. Combine the cornbread cubes and grilled onions with the remaining ingredients, add the vinaigrette to taste, toss the salad gently and serve.

Recipe © 2007 by Jamie Gwen. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.