Spring Salad

Reader's Digest CanadaReader's Digest Canada

Number of servings : Prep time: Cooking time: Type of meal : | Salads | Salads Special diet : Ingredients

Number of servings :

Prep time:

Cooking time:

Type of meal : | Salads | Salads

Special diet :

Ingredients

Dressing:
60 ml (4 tbsp) lemon juice
30 ml (2 tbsp) Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, green germ removed, minced
5 ml (1 tsp) anchovy paste
1 pinch sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) dried basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
180 ml (¾ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:
150 g (4 handfuls) fresh baby greens (mesclun)
225 g (1 cup) bowtie pasta
225 g (8 oz) yellow (wax) beans, in small pieces
4 eggs
½ red pepper, diced
4 green onions, chopped
4 Italian plum tomatoes, quartered
240 g (2 cups) light tuna in oil, drained
12 fresh basil leaves, snipped
8 mini Bocconcini
12 black olives, pitted
15 ml (1tbsp) capers

Directions

  1. In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing, except the olive oil. Add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
  2. Wash greens and spin dry. Arrange on a serving platter.
  3. In a pot, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a serving platter, separating the bowties so that they cool quickly.
  4. Cook the beans in boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again and set aside.
  5. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes in boiling water. Cool, peel, cut in quarters and set aside.
  6. In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, beans, peppers, green onions and tomato quarters. Toss gently with half of the dressing.
  7. Arrange the vegetables on top of the greens, and place egg quarters attractively around the platter. Sprinkle the tuna over the vegetables.
  8. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and eggs. Garnish with basil, mini Bocconcini, olives and capers.
  9. Serve immediately. This salad is best served at room temperature.

Tip: Anchovy paste is available in tubes in most good grocery stores. To make the mini Bocconcini more flavourful, marinate them in the dressing for one hour.

Nutritional information:

Imported on 2011-01-20 20:26:46 — Original ID:2339