Salad with Pickled Onions and Parmesan

I adore pickles of all kinds, but like bagels and jam, they were on that (ever-shrinking) list of things I’d never tried to make myself. For some reason cucumber pickles still intimidate me but these were insanely easy, and I love them.

Pickled onions may not seem like a particularly practical ingredient to keep on hand, but since I first tried them, I’ve started craving their tangy crunch on salads and sandwiches. This salad lets them be the star of the show, with just a drizzle of olive oil, a few curls of Parmesan, and some freshly cracked black pepper to compliment their flavor.

Recipe:

onions
(adapted from Mango & Tomato)

1/2 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
10 coriander seeds
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
red wine vinegar to cover

Combine all ingredients in a clean jar. Seal the jar, shake it a few times, and refrigerate for at least 3 days.

salad
2 hearts of romaine, sliced crosswise at 1″ intervals
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pickled onions
Parmesan cheese curls (use a vegetable peeler)
freshly cracked black pepper

Rinse the romaine and dry thoroughly with a salad spinner. Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add the pickled onions and toss, then add Parmesan and black pepper as desired.