charred hearts of palm salad

with avocado, fresh greens, and a lemon vinaigrette

Charred Hearts of Palm Salad with Avocado and Fresh Greens

Simple yet sophisticated, this beautiful, artful, monotone green salad is a perfect light first course or a satisfying palate cleanser after a rich entrée.

 

Crunchy sweet romaine gets fancied up with some frilly frisée. Baby rocket adds a peppery little bite. Tossed together, they’re the perfect welcoming committee for cubes of creamy avocado and rings of charred hearts of palm.

 

This simple salad takes very little time to put together. In fact, if you skip charring the hearts of palm, it takes only a few minutes…but it’s worth the extra step.

 

The salad is lightly dressed with a super refreshing, lemony vinaigrette.

 

Make it your own:

Topped with a poached egg, it makes a lovely light lunch.

Some crumbled gorgonzola, chèvre, feta, or shaved parmesan is also a nice addition.

Add your favorite nuts or seeds. Some good choices are walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

 

Ingredients:

1 can whole hearts of palm, rinsed and dried with paper towel

Olive oil for charring the hearts of palm

Small head of romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed

One small head frisée

A few handfuls baby arugula

1 ripe Hass avocado

Kosher salt and pepper

For the vinaigrette:

1 large shallot minced

1 clove garlic grated or paste

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon vinegar (I recommend champagne, sherry, or white wine vinegar)

1 tablespoons warm water

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

/2 teaspoon dried herbs de Provençe

1/2 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil (I like Costco’s Italian E.V.)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Method:

First, make the vinaigrette:

  • Combine all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a bowl and whisk them well.

  • While continuing to whisk with your dominant hand, begin to drizzle in the oil, very slowly. As the dressing starts to emulsify, you can start adding the oil a little faster.

  • Taste the vinaigrette and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. If you’d like it to be sweeter, add a bit more honey.

  • If you make the vinaigrette in advance, give it another good whisking or a hearty shake in a jar, before using it.

Prepare the hearts of palm:

  • Slice the hearts of palm crosswise into thick slices and season them with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

  • Heat a glug of olive oil in a pan—use cast iron if you have one—and when it’s very hot, but not smoking, add the hearts of palm in one layer.

  • Let them cook without moving them for about a minute, then peak under one slice to check for doneness. They should be a deep golden brown.

  • Then turn them and brown them on the other side. When they’re nicely charred on both sides, remove them from the pan and set them aside.

  • When they’re cool, gently coat them with a little of the vinaigrette.

Prepare the avocado:

  • Cut the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and use a soup spoon to scoop the halves out of their shell.

  • Cut both halves in a crosswise pattern to make cubes.

  • Immediately, drizzle a little vinaigrette over the cubes and gently toss to combine. This will enhance their flavor and keep them from turning brown.

Prepare the greens:

  • Cut off the root ends of the romaine and the frisée.

  • Wash the lettuces well, dry them with a salad spinner or paper towels, and cut them crosswise into 1 inch pieces. (Some people remove the ribs from the romaine leaves, but I’m leaving them on for the crunch factor.

  • Combine the cut lettuces in a salad bowl and toss in a few handfuls of baby rocket (arugula), making a nice mix of the three lettuces.

Putting it all together:

  • Pour a little vinaigrette over the lettuces in the bowl. Just enough to coat them lightly. You’ll be adding a touch more later.

  • Toss them with your hands to make sure that every piece is dressed.

  • Arrange the charred hearts of palm and the avocado cubes over the lettuce. If you’re using any add-ins, add them now. Then drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the whole thing.

To prepare the salad in advance:

  • You can wash, cut, and combine the lettuces in advance.

  • The hearts of palm can also be seared in advance.

  • And, you can make the vinaigrette in advance.

  • Just keep them all separate from each other.

  • I don’t recommend prepping the avocado in advance, as it doesn’t hold up well.