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Italian

Insalata di rinforzo

Non-vegetarian

Neapolitan Christmas salad of boiled cauliflower dressed with plenty of olive oil and vinegar and studded with pickled peppers, olives, capers and anchovies; it is 'reinforced' with more over the holidays.

Insalata di rinforzo is an Italian salad from Italy, ready in about 1 hour 23 minutes and made with cauliflower and roasted red peppers (jarred). It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
8 min
Rest
1 h
Total
1 h 23 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
156

Ingredients

6 servings

For cooking

For the dressing

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the cauliflower (opens in a new tab) florets in salted water until just tender but still firm, about 6–8 minutes. Drain and spread out to cool.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the olive oil (opens in a new tab), vinegar and salt until combined.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Toss the cauliflower (opens in a new tab) with the peppers, olives (opens in a new tab), capers (opens in a new tab) and anchovies (opens in a new tab), pour over the dressing and fold through the parsley (opens in a new tab).

    • 4 min

  4. Step 4

    Leave for at least 1 hour (or overnight) for the flavours to soak in. Taste before serving — it should be noticeably sharp.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Naples, Campania, Italy · Well documentedMore food from Italy
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Side dishes
Cooking method
Boiled, Marinated / cured
Taste
tangy, salty, savoury
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Cauliflower · Roasted red peppers (jarred) · Green olives · Black olives · Capers · Wine vinegar
Techniques
Boiling · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom anchovies
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom wine vinegar

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

156 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 160 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 17%
  • Fat 77%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy156 kcal97 kcal
Protein2.4 g1.5 g
Carbohydrate6.9 g4.3 g
Net carbohydrate4.1 g2.6 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.8 g1.8 g
Fat14.2 g8.9 g
Saturated fat2.1 g1.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium859 mg537 mg
Salt equivalent2.1 g1.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
345 mg
Calcium
48 mg
Iron
1.5 mg
Magnesium
20 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
16 µg
Vitamin C
60 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
63 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: anchovies.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Tradition says you top it up with more pickles and cauliflower each day of the Christmas season.

Common mistakes

  • Overcooking the cauliflower; it should keep some bite as it sits in vinegar.

Serve with

  • Alongside fried baccalà or eel on Christmas Eve.

Food safety

  • Keep the salad refrigerated between servings; once anchovies are mixed in, eat within 4 days and don't leave it out for more than 2 hours.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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