This is not like a casual “I’ll just have a bowl of this salad for lunch” type of salad. This bitter, sassy, garlicky salad needs and wants a friend. A rich, hearty friend like leg of lamb or spicy pork shoulder. Not that the fattiness of the yogurt or freshness of mint leaves don’t adequately tame the bitterness of the chicories; they do, but it’s still the kind of thing that needs other things on the table.
For whatever reason, I am just not a fan of coating each leaf individually with a creamy dressing (yes, I am a “dressing on the side” person) and I prefer to drag and dip my perky, seasoned lettuces through a tangy sauce rather than weigh down the leaves with a dressing, making them all sad and wilty. That said, this is a no-judgment zone, and if you are into salads fully tossed with creamy dressings, you can absolutely thin this yogurt number down with enough water as needed and use it as such, drizzling over the chicories and tossing to coat before serving.
DO AHEAD: Yogurt sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly and refrigerated. The greens can be prepped and torn and tossed with mint a day ahead, stored in a zippered bag, and refrigerated.
4-6 servings
- Whisk the yogurt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. It should be pleasantly tangy and salty, season with more lemon juice and salt, if needed.
- Toss the radicchio with the mint leaves, preserved lemon, garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Add the olive oil and toss to coat.
- Smear the yogurt mixture onto the bottom of a large serving bowl or plate and top with the salad.
- Drizzle with more olive oil as desired, and scatter the mint and anchovies over the top before serving.
Reprinted from Nothing Fancy. Copyright © 2019 by Alison Roman. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
