Does anybody fancy a crunchy salad with a delicious fish and garlic dressing, toasted walnuts, and freshly shaved parmesan? Yeah, me too. The ice water salad is exactly that. Actually, I was giving you the recipe summary of the ice water salad. Guilty!

 But the salad is actually absolutely amazing (*the alliteration expresses my excitement*). This is a great salad to make for Thanksgiving or just on a regular day. You just have to cut the vegetables, dress them, and serve.

The ice water salad is actually a make-ahead salad. What I mean by that is you have to do all the prep a long time before making the salad. Now, you must be wondering, why the name ‘ice water salad’? 

Actually, the vegetables are cut and immersed in ice-cold water. This keeps them fresh and also crunchy. This salad is nothing without the ‘crunch’. The vegetables are selected on the basis of their crunch. Then, they are immersed in ice water to enhance the said ‘crunch’. I am sorry if I said ‘crunch’ too much but you get the point. 

The salad is dressed with a Bangna Cauda dressing which is just a fancy name for anchovy and garlic dressing. There are also toasted walnuts and lemon juice. The lemon adds freshness to the salad and a little tang as well. The walnuts add a nuttiness and also add to the ‘crunch’.

Without saying ‘crunch’ any further, let’s move to the recipe for ice water salad. But before you read out the entire recipe, check out other appetizing salads from our blog.

1. Wendy’s Taco Salad– Have you tried the famous salad by Wendy’s? Wendy’s taco salad is a healthy combination of tacos, veggies, and ground beef. This salad is garnished with cheese, tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream. It has the spiciness of chili and flavors of healthy veggies like lettuce, beans, garlic, and many more.

2. Cherry Jello Salad– Cherry jello salad can be enjoyed as a salad and a dessert. This dessert-salad is filled with the flavors of cherry, fruity gelatin, berries, and other fruits. It’s a perfect dish to be enjoyed at a celebration meal.

3. Cranberry Gelatin Salad– Cranberry gelatin salad is a delicious Thanksgiving salad that can be served as a dessert and salad. It has cherry-flavored jello mix and cranberry sauce mixed with pineapples. Chopped pecan added to it give a nutty and crunchy twist to the salad.

4. Roasted Squash Salad– Roasted squash salad has roasted squash with fresh arugula, pepitas, and goat cheese. It’s a healthy salad dressed in Balsamic vinegar. It’s filled with the flavors of vinegar, veggies, and seasoning spices like salt and pepper.

What Equipment Will You Need For Ice Water Salad?

• Mandoline- Use the mandoline to thinly slice the vegetables. You want them as thick as a nickel. 
• Salad Spinner- Use the salad spinner to immerse the vegetables in the ice water and then use it to dry the vegetables afterward. You can also use a large bowl and a colander instead if you don’t have a salad spinner. 
• Large Bowl- Use the bowl to make the dressing and then the salad. 
• Small Saucepan- Cook the anchovies and garlic in the saucepan. 
• Rimmed Baking Sheet and Oven- Use the rimmed baking sheet and oven for roasting the walnuts. 
• Mortar and Pestle- The mortar and pestle are used for mashing the anchovies and garlic. 
• Knife and Wooden Spoon- Use the knife for chopping and the spoon for stirring and mixing. 

How Much Time Will You Need For Ice Water Salad?

What Ingredients Will You Need For Ice Water Salad?

• Mixed Crunched Vegetables- You need a mix of vegetables that are crunchy and will get crunchier once immersed in an ice bath. I’d suggest you use fennel, radishes, turnips, beets, and carrots for this salad.
• Walnuts-Add toasted and chopped to the salad to add nuttiness to the salad.
• Garlic and Anchovy Fillets- The dressing is made by cooking a paste of anchovies and garlic cloves. 
• Parmesan-  Add shaved parmesan on top of the salad to add cheesy goodness to its taste.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil- A little virgin olive oil goes into the dressing to cook anchovies and garlic. 
• Lemon Juice- Freshly squeezed lemon juice does wonders to a salad. It adds freshness and tang to the salad. 
• Kosher Salt- Add salt to the dressing to season it. 

Steps To Make Ice Water Salad

1. It’s Time For An Ice Bath

Add ice water and your sliced veggies into the salad spinner. Keep them in the fridge for an hour. If you are short on time, keep them in the ice water bath for at least 15 minutes. You can keep them in the ice water for as long as 6 hours.  If you are keeping the veggies in the ice bath for more than 1 hour, make sure you cover them. 

2. Wrestle The Pestle

Use the mortar and pestle to make a smooth paste of the anchovies and garlic. Add this paste to a small saucepan and cook it with ⅓ cup of oil for 3 minutes until the garlic turns brown. Then, transfer it to a large bowl.

3. Go Nuts!

Now, lay the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. When they are roasted, take them out and chop them into small bits. Add these bits to the bowl. Also, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice to the bowl and mix.

4. Out Of The Fridge, Into The Bowl

Take out the veggies from the fridge and drain the water. Take out any ice bits there are and then dry the vegetables. Add the veggies to the dressing bowl and toss them to cover them well with the dressing.

After that, add half of the parmesan to the bowl and toss again.

5. Your Salad Is Served

Put your salad on a serving plate and top with the remaining parmesan. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over it and sprinkle some black pepper. Your salad is ready!

How Will The Ice Water Salad Look And Taste Like?

The salad looks rather colorful with all the sliced colorful vegetables. I don’t think I need to mention the crunch that it gets by being immersed in ice water. The dressing adds a very intense flavor to the salad which blends well. The lemon juice adds freshness and the chopped walnuts add nuttiness to the salad. 

Recipe Card

I hope this post had enough ‘crunch’ for you. Sorry, but I have to leave. I am on time ‘crunch’. Ok, I’ll stop now. If you have any suggestions or anything nice to tell us, leave a comment. We’ll love to hear about it. Thank you!