Via Carota’s Insalata Verde is Maybe the Best Salad You’ll Ever Have
It’s true: Via Carota’s Insalata Verde is maybe the best salad you’ll ever have! I’ve never met anyone who knows about it, having a different opinion.
A few little details make the salad and the dressing unique: part ingredients and part technique. You will have to read further for more details, but if you find yourself in the West Village, try to get a table at Via Carota, and by all means, order the fan favorite: Insalta Verde. The Tonnarelli (cacio pepe) is also to die for!
We have a few more of our favorite salads below! This salad dressing is very close to the chopped salad dressing, but with a few minor adjustments, that make all the difference.
We used the best ingredients for this salad dressing: Muraglia Olive Oil and dry sherry vinegar. The whole grain mustard is from The Cook’s Atelier when we visited the shop in November. You can read that post here.
The ingredients for Via Carota insalata verde recipe
For the salad:
- A head of butter lettuce such as Bibb or Boston (you want tender, crispy leaves)
- Small Belgian endive
- One small bunch of watercress
- Romaine
For the Via Carota vinaigrette:
- Small shallot
- Aged sherry vinegar
- Warm water
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Whole grain mustard
- A few sprigs of thyme
- Small clove garlic
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Via Carota Insalata Verde: Maybe the Best Salad You’ll Ever Have
We make this recipe for two servings at a time, but it can easily be doubled or tripled.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the salad:
- A head of butter lettuce such as Bibb or Boston (you want tender, crispy leaves)
- A Small Belgian endive
- A bunch watercress
- Romaine
For the Via Carota vinaigrette:
- 1/2 small shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon warm water
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, stripped
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the salad:
- Wash all the greens, pat dry with a paper towel, and then wrap in clean dish towels.
- Trim the root off the butter lettuce and separate the whole leaves
- Slice the endive on the bias
- Cut the large leaves of romaine in half and slice on the bias
- Trim the watercress leaving only the long tender stems
For the vinaigrette:
- Mince the shallot, place in a fine mesh strainer, and rinse with cool water.
- Put the shallot in a bowl, and add the vinegar and warm water.
- Whisk in the oil, mustards, thyme, garlic, and a pinch of salt to taste.
Serving the salad:
- In a large bowl, mix all the greens.
- Take a generous handful of greens, place it on a plate, and add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
- Add a generous drizzle of dressing.
- Add another handful of the mixed greens and drizzle with more dressing.
- Repeat until you have the desired amount of salad, and serve immediately.
Notes
You will likely have some leftover dressing. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
For the leftover greens, just wrap them in a plastic bag or airtight container and store them in the fridge for a few days.
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Thank you for the recipes Annie so delicious. My 90 year old mother is coming to visit me and i will definitely be making the broccoli soup and the lovely green salad….going to order my aged sherry now!!
Have a happy and healthy New Year!
Francesca! Happy new year! That’s wonderful that your mom is able to visit you at 90! I assume she has to take a flight? That’s amazing! Enjoy!