KAALE SEERABEH SALAD (SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE DRESSING)

Kaale Seerabeh Salad (Salad With Pomegranate Dressing) image

To celebrate Shab-e Yalda, the Iranian celebration of the winter solstice, the chef Hanif Sadr of Komaaj in San Francisco takes the classic preparation of kaale, or uncooked, seerabeh, a tangy walnut and pomegranate sauce, and serves it as a dressing on a crisp salad. Flecked with garlic and herbs, seerabeh is typically served with fish in the northern Iranian province of Gilan. Here, vegetables provide the chromatic canvas upon which the pinkish sauce is drizzled. Mr. Sadr recommends using a pomegranate juice you like to drink for the sauce and refrigerating the sauce overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Any leftover sauce will keep for 5 days in the fridge and is great served with fish, chicken or roasted vegetables, or as a dip.

Provided by Naz Deravian

Categories appetizer, side dish

Time P1DT10m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1 cup pomegranate juice, plus more as needed
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Heaping 1/4 cup walnut halves
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Granulated sugar, to taste (optional)
2 romaine lettuce hearts, or 4 to 6 heads Little Gem lettuce
2 large radishes (watermelon, red, white or daikon, or a mixture), thinly sliced into rounds
1 large carrot (preferably purple), peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 large orange, segmented
Kosher salt
Bread, for serving

Steps:

Prepare the dressing: Place the pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender, and blend until smooth. Add the cilantro, mint and parsley, and blend until smooth. With the blender running on low, drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. If the sauce is too sour, sprinkle in a little sugar; if it's not acidic enough, add a little more pomegranate juice or lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time. Be mindful that the flavors will meld more and pop as the sauce rests. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer, and discard any tiny bits of pomegranate seeds. You should have 1 3/4 cups. Transfer the sauce to a container, cover and refrigerate overnight. (The sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance.) The sauce will thicken slightly as it rests, but it's not a thick sauce.
Assemble the salad: Remove the larger outer leaves of the romaine hearts and set aside for another use. On a serving platter or on individual plates, neatly arrange the lettuce leaves, stacking some on top of one another. (If using Little Gems, just halve them lengthwise and place on the platter; no need to stack them.) Or, chop the lettuce if you'd prefer. Scatter the radishes, carrots and orange segments on top. Sprinkle everything with a little salt. Stir the sauce to combine, and taste for seasoning and acidity. Drizzle over the salad and serve right away. Use as much sauce as desired. Serve with a side of bread to sop up any lingering dressing.