More or less everyone has heard of this Reinforced Salad, which is typically Neapolitan, but what is it really and why is it called a reinforced salad? The most common theory is that since it is eaten for Christmas Eve dinner (typically a light meal), this salad “reinforces” the dinner. Other opinions suggest that the reinforced salad is prepared in every household in the Campania region using more or less the same ingredients, and then from Christmas Day onwards it is “reinforced” with various ingredients such as pickles or leftover salt cod from previous dinners, so that by New Year’s Eve, it becomes a truly rich reinforced salad.
However, whatever the true version of this salad is, what’s certain is that it’s delicious, and I don’t know why I haven’t made it until now.
Let’s quickly discover how to prepare this reinforced salad right after the photo, but first, take a look at other salads designed for the holidays that I leave for you below!!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Steam, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for the Reinforced Salad
- 28 oz cauliflower
- 3.5 oz pickled peppers (papaccelle)
- 3.5 oz green olives
- 3.5 oz black olives
- 1.75 oz anchovies in oil
- 1 oz salted capers
- 1.5 oz carrots (pickled or mixed with small onions)
- to taste salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Preparation of Reinforced Salad
To prepare the reinforced salad, first remove the outer leaves and the stem from the cauliflower, then divide the florets.
If the florets are too large, cut them in half and cook them, preferably steamed for 6 minutes, or boil them for 8 minutes. They should be cooked but still firm and should not fall apart.
Pit the green and black olives and place them in a large salad bowl. Desalt the capers and add them to the olives.
If you prefer, you can use a jar of mixed pickles, but I sliced a carrot thinly and cooked it in a pan with 2 tablespoons of water and 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar for a few minutes, then drained and salted it only at the end.
Cut the pickled peppers into strips and clean the anchovies by dividing them into fillets.
Add each ingredient to the salad bowl one by one, season with a little salt, extra virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar.
Mix well, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 day.
If you don’t have this time, just leave it at room temperature, well covered, and consume it within a few hours.
Follow my FACEBOOK PAGE to get daily updates with my new recipe by simply giving a like. On INSTAGRAM or also on PINTEREST you can find all my recipes. You can also subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel to watch our videos.
How to Store the Reinforced Salad
You can store it in the refrigerator, well covered, for up to 1 week, stirring it occasionally and adding more ingredients to reinforce it even more.
Other Recipes
If you want to see other types of recipes, you can return to HOME.
