Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 2 1¼-pound heads escarole, white and light green leaves only, torn
- 1/2 pound small golden beets, peeled and very thinly sliced or julienned
- 3/4 cup snipped chives
Chef notes
"I love this winter salad, which gets a double dose of warm flavor from both the toasted hazelnuts and the earthy beets," says Food & Wine's Gail Simmons. "It's a fresh, crunchy complement to hearty soups and stews, and the addition to honey in the dressing adds just a touch of sweetness to offset the pleasingly bitter lettuce."
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and rub them together in the towel to release the skins. Let the hazelnuts cool, then coarsely chop.
In a serving bowl, whisk the shallot with the vinegar, honey and mustard. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the escarole, beets, chives and toasted hazelnuts and toss well. Season with salt and pepper, toss again and serve.
