Summer Mediterranean-Style Salad

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This summertime salad is a fresh and filling dish that combines several recipes into one, with the individual components being made ahead of time and assembled when you are ready to dig in.  

 

Salad Ingredients

3 – 4 cups leafy greens of your choice

Avocado Dressing*

1 cup Marinated Lentil, Fennel, and Zucchini*

1 cup Pearl Couscous*

1 cup cooked beets*

6 tablespoons soft goat cheese

Fresh ground black pepper

Cilantro, fresh, chopped fine

 *See recipes below

 

Salad Preparation

  1. Toss the greens with the Avocado Dressing and arrange on serving plate or bowl.

  2. Layer the Marinated Lentils, Fennel, and Zucchini, Seasoned Couscous, and cooked beets on top of the dressed greens.

  3. Drop the goat cheese by tablespoons around the platter and grind a bit of pepper on top. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

 

Avocado Dressing

1 small ripe avocado, cut in half and pit removed.

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Scoop out the flesh of the avocado with a teaspoon and put it in a blender or small food processor.

  2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and well mixed then season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

 

Marinated Lentil, Fennel, and Zucchini

1 cup water

¼ cup French lentils

¼ cup fresh fennel, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup zucchini, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

Sunflower oil

 Preparation

  1. Simmer the lentils in 1 cup of water for 20 minutes.

  2. While this is cooking, mix the fennel, dill, salt, pepper, rice vinegar, and olive oil in a medium bowl.

  3. Heat a sauté pan on medium heat and coat the bottom with vegetable oil. Add the zucchini and shallots and lightly sauté.

  4. Allow the lentils and the zucchini to cool and then add to the fennel mixture, cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in refrigerator overnight or for 4 hours.

 

Seasoned Israeli Couscous

½ cup pearl couscous, uncooked’

2 teaspoons sunflower oil

¾ cup water or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Lemon juice from ½ lemon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

 Preparation

  1. Sauté the pearl couscous in a hot pan coated with the sunflower oil for 2 – 3 minutes.

  2. Add the water or stock, bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer 10 – 15 minutes.

  3. Toss together with the parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

  4. Cover and refriderate until ready to serve.

 

Cooked Beets

2 medium to large red or golden beets, peeled, and cut into quarters.

 

1.       Steam the quarters in a covered pan with a steamer basket and 1 inch of water for 20 minutes, until done.

2.     Allow to cool then chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

3.     Store in refrigerator until ready to assemble salad.

 

Tips

1.       The cooked ingredients need at least 4 hours to marinate and/or chill in the refrigerator.

2.     The zucchini can be substituted with other summer vegetables.