Watermelon radish carpaccio and arugula salad with shaved Parmesan cheese, hazelnuts, and a Meyer lemon mustard dressing
Happy New Year! I still can’t believe we’re already into the second week of 2018. Do you have any New Year’s resolution? Eating healthier? Traveling more? Saving for retirement? I abandoned the idea of having resolutions a few years ago since I sucked at keeping them. For 2018, I do have a few intentions--being mindful of what I eat, reading actual books, and reconnecting with old friends in person instead of over texts. I purposely kept my list short because anymore than five, I would be setting myself up for failure.
After watching What the Health and Cowspiracy on Netflix, Vu and I knew that we couldn’t become full pledged vegans or part time vegetarians but definitely saw the benefits of incorporating more veggies into our lifestyle. For 2018, we’re excited to start a new post series called meatless Monday to share some of our favorite meatless meals with the hope to bring some plant based inspirations to your dinner table. I’m sharing one of my favorite salads that was on regular rotation while I was pregnant for our first post. It’s a simple salad of watermelon radish carpaccio with arugula, shaved Parmesan cheese, toasted hazelnuts, and a simple Meyer lemon mustard dressing.
Ever since we started gardening a few years ago, watermelon radish became a well loved root vegetable in our garden. We grow them for salad, roasting, and pickling during fall and winter. If you have never seen a watermelon radish, you’ll be delighted by their magenta to rose-red center. The red flesh also packs a lot of antioxidants.
This salad does require a bit of elbow grease, mainly slicing the radishes paper thin with a mandoline, hence the name carpaccio. If you don’t have a mandoline, a very sharp knife will suffice. Your work will be paid off with a vibrant, light, and nutritious salad. The thinly sliced radishes with their sweet and crisp taste add a nice contrast to the peppery taste of arugula. With its burst of color and tasty flavor, watermelon radishes are a staple in our kitchen.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #beyondsweetandsavory on Instagram. We truly appreciate your feedback and incorporate them to continually improve our recipes.
Watermelon radish carpaccio and arugula salad
Ingredients
- 4 small raw organic watermelon radishes, washed and peeled
- 2 cups organic baby arugula
- 2 tbsps hazelnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
Salad dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsps freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes or until they're golden and fragrant.
- Place the toasted nuts on a kitchen towel and rub them against one another until the skins come off. Roughly chop the nuts.
- Slice the watermelon radishes as thinly as possible with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
- Arrange the watermelon radishes on a serving plate.
- Add the arugula, shaved Parmesan, and toasted hazelnuts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that the shaved Parmesan is already salty so go easy on the salt.
- When ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad.
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