This is an entree salad, great for lunch or dinner. With salad greens, potatoes, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, smoked salmon and a great dressing, it’s a meal unto itself. Easy to assemble with a little prep work ahead. Original recipe courtesy Chef Rachelle Boucher. Since the Challenge, I’ve edited the recipe to make it more my style, easier and more balance for you.
1tablespoonminced shallotapproximately 1?2 of one medium shallot
1teaspoonDijon-style mustard
¼cupgood quality champagne or white balsamic vinegar
¾cupgood quality lemon or mild olive oil
2tablespoonscapersdrained and rinsed
3tablespoonschopped Italian parsley
1teaspoonfinely minced fresh thyme or lemon thyme
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped chives and/ or basil chiffonade or leaves to garnish
Salad
6-8ouncesspring mix salad greens
6ouncesbaby green beans
8ouncessmall baby gold potatoes
4hardboiled eggs
4ouncesKalamata or Nicoise olives
12red cherry or grape tomatoes halved
12ouncesSmoked Salmonor your favorite protein
Instructions
Make the Vinaigrette
Start be making the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl blend shallot, mustard and vinegar. Slowly drizzle oil into mixture and whisk until emulsified. Add capers, parsley, thyme and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside to dress the salad.
Cook Green Beans
Fill a large 5 quart) pt full of water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Drop green beans into boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile prepare an ice bath: fill a large bowl half full of ice and add cold water to cover the ice. When beans are done cooking, scoop green beans from pot and into the ice bath.
Boil the Potatoes
Next in the same boiling, cook potatoes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes until they can be pierced through with a paring knife. Remove potatoes with a strainer spoon when they are done. Cool and cut in half if they are small.
Assemble and Serve
In a large bowl, lightly toss greens with just enough of the vinaigrette to evenly coat the leaves. Arrange the beans and potatoes in groups on a large platter or on individual plates. Mound greens in the center of plates or platter. Lightly toss the tomatoes with a small amount of vinaigrette. Arrange tomatoes and olives in groups around the greens on the plates. Add egg halves to each plate. Season eggs and potatoes with salt and pepper. Finish the salad with large chunks of smoked salmon. Drizzle a little dressing over the salmon, beans and potatoes. Top with chives and/or chopped basil leaves.
Notes
The nutrition calculation is not accurate as it counts the entire batch of dressing.