Tri-Color Chopped Salad with Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese

When I make a recipe and enjoy it so much that I say to myself, "Ooooh, I've GOT to remember this one!" that's a 5-star recipe. And this is one of those recipes. This inarguably has a definite Italian flair to it with its olive oil, fresh oregano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, radicchio and arugula - which could be part of the reason I enjoyed it so much. Impressive, elegant salad with a sophisticated ingredients list, all carefully coordinated to work their collective magic. The dressing is outstanding, using my preferred ratio of 3:1 olive oil to vinegar. To see that it steered away from the heavy and sweet (in my opinion) balsamic vinegar was welcome. I did cut back on the Dijon to 1 teaspoon and on the fresh oregano as well - no criticism of this fabulous recipe, just a matter of personal taste. I added some fresh garlic I had mashed into a paste with a little salt and the back of my chef's knife. Belgian endive, arugula and radicchio are rather pricey - and particularly attractive too. I thought it would be a shame to chop them up. Rather, I made this a composed salad, trying as well as my limited talent in that regard would allow, to arrange it into a pretty presentation on the salad plate. The pine nuts took just a couple of minutes to toast in the microwave. As for the Parmigiano-Reggiano, I preferred to make big shavings of it rather than grate it. This truly was a memorable salad, one that rivals some I've had in some of the finest restaurants in the country.

I like the idea of this, but it's far too bitter for our tastes. If you want to add something to perk it up from all that bitterness substitute some lettuce like butter lettuce or a red leaf lettuce for one of the ingredients. I know it won't be the same salad, but not all of us like things that are bitter.

This was very good and a nice change of pace. You need to like your salads with a bite, though--all the lettuces are bitter greens. It tastes pretty mustardy at first, so I'd suggest letting it sit for about 15 min. or so to let the dressing mellow. The cheese and pine nuts make this salad. Next time, I'll increase the oregano and add some fresh basil. This was even good the next day--it didn't get soggy and the cheese had a stronger flavor.

Excellent! I could not find just arugula so I substituted a pre-washed blend of arugula & baby spinach (by Organic Girl) and it was great. I let the dressing "sit" for a bit on the lettuces and it was perfect. I served this at a dinner party and it was a big hit. I will definitely make again.

a great salad...this one has become one of my faves-the toasted pine nuts and fresh oregano makes this amazing!

Good, different salad

Everyone loved this slightly bitter salad, especially the gentlemen! Easy to make and the lovely colors make it look fantastic!

Great salad!....I love the combination of flavors. I added cashews on top and loved it.......my girlfriend did not like cashews.......so experiment! Highly recommend.

This is a very easy to make salad. I made as written except I used romaine lettuce as it's what I had on hand; I also took into account comments by some reviewers re the bitterness of the lettuces called for in the recipe. I disliked the dressing--I think it was the bite of the Dijon mustard--so I would not make again. I like the concept of the toasted nuts, lettuce, and parmesan but would use a different dressing. A creamy one might work well.

I took another reviewer's suggestion and replaced the endive with spinach to cut back on the bitterness. The pine nuts and cheese definitely make this salad! I enjoy it.