Among the many artichoke recipes I have tried over the years, the raw artichoke salad is undoubtedly the one that surprised me the most. I still remember the first time I tasted it: it was served as an appetizer in a restaurant, and I admit I was quite skeptical. I feared that raw artichokes would be hard and bitter… but I was wrong! When cleaned and prepared carefully, raw artichokes offer a crunchy texture and delicate taste, not bitter at all, that pairs perfectly with ingredients like lemon, mint, and flakes of Grana or Parmesan. To further enrich the raw artichoke salad, I love adding a touch of dried fruit: walnuts, pine nuts, sliced almonds, or toasted pumpkin seeds add crunchiness and a unique flavor to the dish. Easy to prepare and incredibly appetizing, raw artichoke salad is ideal as both an appetizer and a side dish. Elegant and versatile, it is also perfect for the most refined occasions.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter, Spring
Ingredients for the Raw Artichoke Salad
- 4 artichokes (violet, or 3 Roman)
- 3/4 oz walnut kernels
- 3/4 oz Grana Padano PDO (or Parmesan)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 2 lemons (juice only)
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Glass
- 1 Fork
- 1 Strainer
- 1 cheese slicer
How to Prepare Raw Artichoke Salad
To prepare the raw artichokes in salad, it is essential to let them soak for about an hour in water and lemon juice, so they do not darken and lose their bitter flavor. Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in the juice of 1 and a half lemons (1). Set aside half a lemon, whose juice will be used to season the artichokes.
Clean the artichokes thoroughly, following the video tutorial found here. Remove the stems but do not throw them away: you can use them, along with one or two artichokes, to make a risotto or a velvety soup. Cut the artichokes in half and remove any choke (2), then with a sharp knife slice them thinly (3).
As you slice them, place them immediately in the acidulated water with lemon juice (4). Let them soak for about an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the emulsion for dressing the artichoke salad: finely chop the pennyroyal or mint (5). Combine in a glass the oil, salt, pepper, chopped pennyroyal, and squeeze in the juice of the remaining half lemon (6).
With a fork, beat everything vigorously to form an emulsion (7). Drain the artichokes with a strainer, then transfer them to a salad bowl and dress them with the oil and lemon emulsion (8). Mix everything well, then add the Grana flakes (if you do not have the appropriate tool to make the flakes you can use a potato peeler) and coarsely chopped walnuts (9).
Briefly mix everything and serve the raw artichoke salad immediately, as an appetizer or side dish.
Storage
If there is any leftover, you can store the raw artichoke salad in the refrigerator, in a glass container, for one day.
Tips and Variations
Instead of lemon juice, you can season the artichokes with an emulsion of oil and balsamic vinegar, or use a balsamic vinegar glaze as the final garnish for the salad.
