Crunchy pickle salad, rich in nutrients and vitamin C
Healthy, very tasty, rich in nutrients and vitamin C and with a variety of different textures –crispy onion, juicy pickles, walnuts…–, this crispy pickle salad is much more than a simple side salad, though goes perfectly with any main meat dish.
You can make it from pickles or replace them with the pickles you prefer (or have): radishes, green beans…
But to favor the flavor of the pickles, which are acidic and low sugar, you're better off using the ones labeled "sweet and sour," and if yours are sweet, a trick to balance them is add a little more vinegar and salt.
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup of walnuts
- 4 pickled gherkins, cut in half lengthwise, then into 2cm slices
- 3 tablespoons brine (the liquid from the pickles)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- ¼ teaspoons crushed red chili flakes
- ½ small white onion, thinly sliced
- coarse salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium fennel bulb, outer layers removed, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped dill
- 60 grams grated Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil (for dressing)
- Rustic-style toast (optional, but you'll want to dip in the dressing)
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. On a baking sheet, toast the nuts, stirring until golden brown (about 8-10 minutes). Let cool and chop them into large pieces.
while they cool down, mix brine, red wine vinegar, mustard, honey, and red chili flakes in a large bowl. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper.
Let rest so that the onion softens a little (minimum 5 minutes and maximum 15 minutes).
Add to the dressing walnuts, the pickles, the fennel, the dill and the Parmesan grated and remove.
Transfer the salad to a large shallow dish and season with virgin olive oil. Serve with a couple of slices of bread to dip in the dressing sauce.