Herb Salad With Goat Cheese and Cashews

Bonnie Stern and Fran BerkoffBonnie Stern and Fran Berkoff

Fresh and tasty, this easy-to-make salad makes a great addition to any meal.

Number of servings : 6 to 8

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: Ready in under 30 minutes

Type of meal : | Salads | Salads

Special diet : | High fibre | Low calorie

Ingredients

4 cups (1 L) baby spinach (about 5 oz/300 g)
1 cup (250 mL) flat-leaf parsley leaves
½  cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves
¼ cup (50 mL) each of coarsely chopped chives, tarragon, basil and mint
½  lb (250 g) green beans, blanched*
2 tbsp (25 mL) sherry vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ tsp (2 mL) Dijon mustard
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil
½ cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped roasted, salted cashews
8 oz (250 g) goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

  1. Combine spinach with herbs. Mix in blanched green beans.
  2. For dressing, whisk vinegar with garlic, mustard and salt. Whisk in olive oil.
  3. Just before serving, toss greens with enough dressing to coat spinach and pars­ley. Sprinkle with cash­ews and goat cheese.

Bonnie says: To make this salad for a main course, add grilled chicken or shrimp. Use whatever combination of leafy green herbs you wish. Arugula can be used instead of spinach if you like a sharper taste. And asparagus is a great alternative to green beans.

Fran says: This salad contains only 278 cal­ories and is a rich source of the antioxidant beta carotene. It also has 15 percent of your daily required calcium, 20 percent of your folate, 2 grams of fibre and generous amounts of vitamins C and K, iron and potassium.

*To blanch beans, trim ends and cook in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain. Place in a large bowl of ice and water to chill. Pat dry.

 

Photo by Benoît Levac; Food Stylist: Marie-Éve Charron; Prop Stylist: Irène Garavelli.

Nutritional information: