Warm Vegetable Salad with Truffles
Submitted by USCGWife
Warm vegetable salad with julienned carrots, turnips, celery, tomatoes, green beans, and snow peas on mache and radicchio, dressed in shallot vinaigrette and garnished with fresh truffles.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
15 minThis is restaurant-level composed salad built from tender-crisp julienned vegetables arranged over a bed of peppery radicchio and delicate mache. Each vegetable gets cooked separately in chicken broth so nothing is over or underdone.
Cooking in broth instead of plain water seasons the vegetables from the inside out. The carrots, turnips, celery, and tomatoes simmer just 1 to 4 minutes depending on density, then get pulled while they still have bite. Green beans and snow peas get blanched separately in salted water and shocked in ice to lock in their color and crunch.
A simple shallot-parsley vinaigrette ties everything together without masking the clean vegetable flavors. And then the finishing touch: julienned fresh truffles scattered over the top. That earthy, musky aroma hits the warm vegetables and perfumes the whole plate.
Chef Tips
- Keep each vegetable separate after cooking so you can arrange them in distinct groups on the platter. Mixing them in a bowl loses the visual impact.
- Plunge blanched green beans and snow peas into ice water immediately. This stops the cooking and keeps them bright green instead of army drab.
- Julienne everything the same width for a uniform, elegant presentation. Consistency matters in a composed salad.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette just before serving. Dressed vegetables sitting too long go limp and lose their crunch.
Variations
- Truffle oil swap: If fresh truffles aren’t available, finish with a few drops of quality truffle oil instead.
- Roasted version: Roast the root vegetables instead of poaching for a deeper, caramelized flavor.
- Summer variation: Swap the turnips and carrots for grilled zucchini, asparagus, and bell peppers when they’re in season.
Ingredients
Directions
Peel and clean carrots and turnips, trim green beans and peel tomatoes.
Place prepared vegetables in water to cover with few dashes of vinegar.
Cut carrots, turnips, celery and tomatoes in julienne strips, about 2 inches in length.
Heat chicken broth along with 1 tablespoon butter.
Cook cut vegetables separately in broth, simmering 1 to 4 minutes until they are tender but firm, depending on their type and size.
Cook green beans and peas in boiling salted water until tender but crisp.
Plunge in ice water to prevent cooking further, then drain.
Decorate large platter with mache and radicchio.
Make arrangement of vegetables on lettuces.
Combine shallots, parsley, 6 tablespoons vinegar and oil in bowl.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle vinaigrette over vegetables and garnish with truffles.
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