One of my favorite things I ate in New Orleans was the original Muffuletta sandwich. There wasn’t anything complicated about the sandwich, but the mixture of Italian cured meats, cheeses, and olives was just so good. Now, I’m not a sandwich person. I crave them once in a while, but I find it to be too much bread to be an everyday thing. How could I enjoy the flavors of the Muffuletta at home without sacrificing nutrition too much? I swapped out the bread and pickled vegetables for fresh vegetables and greens. Yup, I turned the Muffuletta into a salad.
This salad is one big delicious mess. Cured meat isn’t as good for you as fresh meat, but this salad is a more balanced way to enjoy the charcuterie and cheeses we love so much. Just remember to get the best quality cheeses and meat you can, organic if possible. Make the Muffuletta Salad. You know you want to.
Muffuletta Salad
Makes 2 servings
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
10 pimento-stuffed olives, sliced in halves
1/4 shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of dried oregano
Pinch of dried thyme
Pinch of crushed red pepper
2 large handfuls of baby romaine lettuce
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1 ounce fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 ounce mild provolone cheese, sliced
1 ounce prosciutto, sliced
1 ounce salami, sliced
In a medium bowl, pour the red wine vinegar into the olive oil as you whisk vigorously to make a vinaigrette. Take one tablespoon of the vinaigrette and toss with the pimento-stuffed olives, shallot, garlic, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper in another small bowl.
Add the romaine lettuce, bell pepper, and tomato to the fist bowl and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Split the salad into two dishes, and arrange the cured meats and cheese on the two servings. Top each with the remaining vinaigrette and and olives mixture.
