Bresaola Salad and Apple and Radicchio

A fresh and vibrant Bresaola salad made with peppery arugula, crisp apple, radishes, and bitter radicchio, served with a simple olive oil vinaigrette and finished with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It's easy to make and full of flavour.

Bresaola (Bresaola della Valtellina) is a cured, salted beef from Valtellina, Lombardy, Italy. It's good served as an antipasto with some cheese and preserved vegetables layered into sandwiches or added to salads.

In Italy, it's often served with peppery arugula (also known as rocket) and is a great alternative to beef carpaccio if you're hesitant about raw beef.

This salad is the solid mix of flavours and textures. Salty bresaola and nutty Parmigiano go beautifully with the crisp, fresh apple, radishes and peppery, slightly bitter leaves.

We love making this for a light lunch; it comes together in minutes but looks and tastes special enough to serve to guests. See the full recipe below, and as always, our favourite ways to adapt it.

Ingredient notes

• Bresaola – you should be able to find this in most Italian food stores, it's also sold in most supermarkets now in the UK. If you can't find it, however, then a good quality prosciutto crudo would be a good alternative.
• Radishes – not a fan? leave them out or replace them with finely sliced raw fennel.
• Arugula (rocket) and radicchio – We love the balance of peppery and slightly bitter flavours, but you can opt for something more mellow, such as mixed salad leaves if you prefer.
• Apple – We like to use a tart green apple but a sweet apple will also work.
• Dressing – garlic, olive oil and white wine vinegar. simple store cupboard ingredients. You can replace the vinegar with red wine vinegar or lemon.

Recipe tips

Bresaola – As with all cured meats, let the bresaola come to room temperature before serving for best flavour.

Amplify the garlic flavour – the dressing has a subtle hint of garlic but if you'd rather a punchier garlic flavour you can mince or grate the garlic into the dressing instead.

Can we prepare this bresaola salad in advance?

You can prep the dressing, chop the radicchio and radishes and shave the Parmigiano all in advance and store them in the fridge separately. The apple will oxidate and turn brown once cut so cut that right before serving or you can squeeze a little lemon juice over it to slow down the oxidation. Always dress salads last minute as the salad will wilt.

More good salads to try

Salads

Tuna Panzanella – Italian Bread Salad

Salads

Festive Blood Orange Salad with Fennel and Crispy Prosciutto

Salads

Eggplant Farro Salad with Chicory and Prosciutto

Salads

Insalata Pantesca (Sicilian Potato Salad)

Ingredients

Makes 4 people

• 3 oz (85g) bresaola ((cured beef))
• 2 large handfuls arugula (rocket) ((around 125g))
• 3 oz (85g) radicchio
• 4-6 radishes (finely sliced)
• 1 green apple
• Parmigiano Reggiano (shaved)

Dressing

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 whole garlic clove
• salt and pepper

Method

To make the dressing

1. Add the olive oil, white wine vinegar and a good pinch of salt and pepper to a bowl. Whisk until combined.

2. Remove the skin from the garlic clove and crush it with the side of a knife whilst still keeping it whole. Add the garlic to the dressing and let it sit while you make the rest of the salad (photos 1 and 2).

To make the salad

1. Roughly chop the radicchio then finely slice the radishes and cut the apple into medium sized matchsticks.

2. Add the arugula to a large bowl and add the chopped radicchio, radishes and apple. Remove the garlic from the dressing and add it to the salad then toss to combine (photos 3 and 4).

3. Arrange the salad on a serving plate and top with slices of bresaola and shavings of parmesan. Finish with more black pepper and serve.

Kitchen notes

• For a punchier garlic flavour grate or mince the garlic into the dressing.