For this Spanish-inspired side salad I combined a colorful array of ingredients that really wake up your palate: tender leaf lettuce, sweet roasted red peppers, buttery Castelvetrano olives, tender prosciutto or Serrano ham, and shaved Manchego cheese.
If you aren’t familiar with Manchego cheese, it is a white cheddar from the La Mancha region of Spain made from sheep’s milk; mild in taste, this cheddar cheese pairs really well on a cheeseboard with a variety of fruits (apples, pears, dried apricots, figs) as well as toasted nuts, and even a bit of honey is a nice match. Try this salad with a light lemony vinaigrette flavored with a touch of grainy mustard for punch. A luxurious side salad, yes, but this salad would also be lovely served with grilled chicken, shrimp or even flaky salmon fillets.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Leaf Lettuce with Prosciutto, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives & Shaved Manchego
Ingredients:
- 1 head of red leaf lettuce, stem end removed, the rest chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup sliced roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced Castelvetrano olives
- 4 slices of prosciutto or Serrano ham
- Manchego cheese, sliced with a vegetable peeler (approximately 4 slices per salad)
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grainy mustard
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Rinse and dry the greens. Divide them among your four salad plates. Arrange the roasted red peppers, olives, prosciutto or ham, and sliced cheese artfully on the plates.
- Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and fit tightly with the lid. Shake the dressing until it is smooth; taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over each salad. Serve immediately.
Tagged: Castelvetrano olives, cheese, grainy mustard, leaf lettuce, lemon juice, lemon vinaigrette, Manchego cheese, mustard, olives, prosciutto, red leaf lettuce, roasted red peppers, Salad, sheep's milk cheese, Spanish cheddar cheese
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