Equipment
Ingredients
Greens and Aromatics
- 150 g butter lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 120 g radicchio, washed and sliced into 1 cm ribbons
- 1 shallot, finely minced
Dijon Vinaigrette
- 15 g dijon mustard, smooth
- 20 ml white wine vinegar
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Finishing and Garnish
- 100 g goat cheese, chilled and crumbled
- 5 g fresh chives, finely sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 209 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 388 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Potassium
- 224 mg
- Calcium
- 63 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 15 mg
- Phosphorus
- 93 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 135 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Water
- 84 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Submerge the torn butter lettuce and shredded radicchio in cold water, rinse clean, and spin thoroughly dry in a salad spinner to remove all surface water.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the minced shallot, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, fine sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper, then whisk until the salt granules are fully dissolved.
Slowly pour the extra-virgin olive oil into the vinegar mixture in a fine, continuous stream while whisking rapidly until a glossy, fully unified emulsion forms.
Transfer the thoroughly dried butter lettuce and radicchio into a large salad bowl.
Drizzle three-quarters of the prepared Dijon vinaigrette over the salad greens and toss gently with salad servers until every leaf is lightly lacquered.
Scatter the crumbled goat cheese and sliced chives over the top of the tossed salad, then serve immediately with the remaining vinaigrette on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Keep the goat cheese thoroughly chilled until the exact moment of garnishing; cold chèvre crumbles cleanly, whereas room temperature cheese smears across the greens.
- Slice the radicchio across its head rather than tearing by hand to create clean ribbons that provide a refined textural contrast against soft butter lettuce.
- Taste a dressed piece of lettuce rather than a plain spoonful of vinaigrette to check seasoning, as leafy greens temper the perception of acid and salt.
- Promptly cool and refrigerate any perishable leftovers at 4°C (40°F) or below in an airtight container to preserve freshness and food safety.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store dressed leftovers promptly in an airtight container at 4°C (40°F) or below for up to 24 hours, noting greens will soften. For advance preparation, keep washed greens and vinaigrette in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Troubleshooting
Salad turns soggy and watery shortly after plating
Cause: The leaves were insufficiently dried after washing, or the salad sat too long after dressing
Fix: Cannot be fixed once leaves wilt; serve immediately on chilled plates
Prevention: Spin greens completely dry and apply vinaigrette immediately before serving
The vinaigrette separates into distinct oil and vinegar layers
Cause: Oil was introduced too rapidly, overwhelming the emulsifying capacity of the mustard
Fix: Whisk 5 ml of warm water into the broken vinaigrette in a separate bowl, then slowly incorporate the separated dressing
Prevention: Add oil in a hairline drizzle while whisking vigorously
Radicchio bitterness overpowers the salad
Cause: Natural lactucopicrin compounds in mature radicchio can be intensely astringent
Fix: Whisk 2 to 3 grams of honey into the remaining dressing to counterbalance bitterness
Prevention: Submerge cut radicchio in an ice bath for 10 minutes before drying to leach excess bitter compounds
Cultural Context
Salades composées featuring bitter chicories and tender lettuces are pillars of classical French bistro dining. The deliberate juxtaposition of bitter radicchio, soft butterhead greens, and sharp Dijon mustard reflects the French tradition of balancing palate stimulation with rich, creamy farmstead cheeses like fresh chèvre.
