| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 cups arugula
- 4 cups bite-size pieces radicchio, from 1 (10-ounce) head
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1 hothouse cucumber, peeled
Instructions
- Blend the basil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.
- Place the arugula and radicchio in a wide shallow bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot over the salad. Shave the cucumber into a medium bowl. Pat the cucumber shavings with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Add the cucumbers to the salad.
- Do-Ahead Tip: The vinaigrette and salad can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Whisk the dressing to blend before using.
- Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 192 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 26 mg |
Reviews
I think if I made this again I may try it with the rice wine vinegar and maybe cut back on the quantity a bit. I did not use the lemon juice, but instead used the white wine vinegar and just like the reviewers who commented on the lemon juice, I definitely found it a bit too vinegary. I made it a few hours in advance, and I think that really helped for the basil flavor to infuse throughout the dressing (which I LOVED. The shaved carrot and cucumber made for a nice presentation. Overall, a tasty salad that maybe needs a few tweaks here and there but is a good staple mixed salad. Thanks, Giada. :
This dressing was awesome, it’s the perfect summer dressing. What ever you use it on it makes it very fresh. I too use the rice wine vinegar for a more milder taste. I’ve always done my carrots and cucumbers with the peeler it gives a completely different texture to the salad and helps absorb the dressing better.
I made this with Giada’s Champagne Risotto and it was very tasty. My husband and I both liked the dressing. I used rice wine vinegar instead of the lemon juice.
Thanks to Giada, I never buy bottled dressings anymore! And this dressing is my favorite! I love it on green salad, and I tossed it with redskin potatoes and green onions for potato salad. Got raves at a BBQ!
i served this at a dinner party and everyone LOVED it! the dressing is fresh and light.
I found it way too strong in lemon flavor. Other than that, it was a pretty salad. I would either use less lemon or use the white wine vinegar. Also, it was a bit too much dressing for this amount of greens, so be careful and hold some dressing back while you are mixing it.
Loved the flavor of the argula and radiccio.
Great tasting salad. Very easy to make. Great dressing.
LOVED the dressing, it really complemented the rest.
I have a garden with all the veggies in this recipe and I love the way it all looks together not to mention how great it taste too…