Ricotta sesame salad is very different from the run of the mill salads I’ve been eating this summer. There’s creamy ricotta, a little crunch from toasted sesame seed, the sharpness of the shaved parmesan, fresh herbs and of course the crisp, tender greens tossed with a sesame oil vinaigrette. When I first had the salad in a local restaurant I thought it was a fusion dish but after a little web research I’ve found the combination of ricotta and sesame isn’t uncommon, particularly in Levantine cuisine.
I used a spring mix for this salad. You may prefer all spinach or a spinach and arugula blend.
The salad that served as an inspiration for this one had chopped fresh dill mixed into the ricotta. I chose fresh thyme leaves. Thyme and toasted sesame seeds are used to make a blend called za’atar which is also used in Levantine cuisine.
For the vinaigrette, I took the easy way out and drizzled a sesame oil blend and vinegar (white balsamic in this case) over the greens and tossed them together before seasoning with salt and pepper. If you can’t find a sesame oil blend, mix full strength sesame oil with a neutral flavored oil such as sunflower oil.
This is a salad, of course, so feel free to change the proportions to suit your own tastes. Add some chopped green onion, perhaps. Basil would be worth a try if you want to experiment with the herbs.
Don’t be shy about adding seasoning to this dish. You’ll want to counter the mildness of the ricotta, as I found out when trying to recreate it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups tender greens per person
- 4 ounces ricotta per person
- chopped fresh thyme or other fresh herb to taste (start with a tablespoon per portion)
- salt and pepper to taste
- sesame oil blend 1 or 2 teaspoons per portion
- vinegar I used white balsamic; about half as much as the amount of oil
- shaved parmesan cheese
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with the herbs, plus a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Dress the greens by drizzling sesame oil and vinegar over top. Then grind some salt and pepper over the greens and toss.
- Take half of the dressed greens and mix them with the ricotta. Some will cling to the leaves and the rest will remain in clumps.
- To serve, arrange remaining greens on a plate and top with the ricotta and greens, piling high. Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and shaved parmesan cheese.
This looks really good — just loaded with flavor. My kind of dish. 🙂 Thanks!