Bitter Greens Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

The peppery, spicy flavors from a mix of arugula, radicchio, and frisée lettuces are tamed by sweet fresh raspberries and a dressing based off of a simple raspberry shrub, created by Neal Bodenheimer. Dijon mustard and Marcona almonds bring in salty, pungent, and buttery notes. And burrata cheese, torn and strewn over the salad just before serving, takes this crisp and crunchy salad to the next level.

What is the story behind raspberry vinaigrette?

Before it was bottled and sold in grocery stores, raspberry vinaigrette made its debut as part of the wave of nouvelle cuisine (a modern, fresh, and simplified approach to French cooking) dishes that became wildly popular in the 1980s and ’90s — a style of cooking that California chefs like Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck helped define. 

What exactly is a shrub?

Shrubs are tangy, vinegar-based elixirs that flavor cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks. Also called drinking vinegars, they begin with vinegar, fruit, and sugar, and other flavorings like spices, flowers, or herbs that infuse (either by being heated first or cold-steeping) over several days until the flavor fully develops. The mixture is then strained and will last several months in the refrigerator.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The rule of thumb for vinaigrettes is usually to go with a 3:1 oil to acid ratio, but since this recipe includes Neal Bodenheimer’s raspberry shrub, which is very vinegar-forward, the ratio for the dressing was adjusted to a 1:1 ratio of oil to shrub.

Marcona almonds are Spanish almonds with a soft texture and sweet flavor. You can find them at grocery markets or at ohnuts.com. If you cannot find the Spanish nut, you can substitute roughly chopped roasted and salted blanched almonds, but the texture will be firmer and the taste not as sweet. 

Make ahead

The vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The undressed salad, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, will keep for up to three days.