Good Food, Good Life, 365 – Summery Salad in Seconds (Well, almost)

Summery Salad in Seconds (Well, almost)

Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey (preferably from local bees)
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

• 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
• 1 ear cooked corn, kernels removed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 of an English (seedless) cucumber, diced
• 1 avocado, diced

Instructions

1. Begin making the vinaigrette by heating the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots, cook until fragrant and just beginning to turn brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool slightly while putting the salad ingredients together.
2. Place chickpeas in a large glass bowl. Add basil, parsley, chives, corn kernels, tomatoes, and cucumber. Toss gently to mix
3. Finish making vinaigrette by adding lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to blend.
4. Pour the vinaigrette over salad ingredients in bowl. You may not need all of the vinaigrette–just enough to coat all of the ingredients. Pour any remaining vinaigrette into a jar, seal, and refrigerate.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. At serving time, toss in diced avocado.

Makes 2 entree servings.

Sue’s Tips
Feta cheese is a nice addition to this salad. Add it at serving time.
Flavor of this salad gets better with age. It’s okay to refrigerate for a couple of days before eating. Just be sure to hold off on the avocado until you’re ready to eat the salad.
If you’re feeling adventuresome, experiment with any of the fresh herbs you have in your garden. I like basil in this salad. After all, basil and tomato are a match made in heaven.
Double the recipe for more servings. You can use 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas for a double recipe.
This shallot vinaigrette is nice on a salad of fresh greens and veggies.