1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound small red potatoes (about 9), halved
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
12 cups torn romaine (about 2 small bunches)
6 hard-boiled large eggs, quartered
1 jar (6-1/2 ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup Nicoise or kalamata olives
1. For vinaigrette, whisk together the first 8 ingredients. In another bowl, toss kidney beans and onion with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Set aside bean mixture and remaining vinaigrette.
2. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. While potatoes are warm, toss with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette; set aside.
3. In a pot of boiling water, cook asparagus just until crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove with tongs and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry. In same pot of boiling water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove beans; place in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
4. To serve, toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette; toss green beans with 2 teaspoons vinaigrette. Toss romaine with remaining vinaigrette; place on a platter. Arrange vegetables, kidney bean mixture, eggs, artichoke hearts and olives over top.
More and more people in my workplace are becoming vegetarians. When we cook or eat together, the focus is on fresh produce. This salad combines some of our favorite ingredients in one dish...and with the hard-boiled eggs and kidney beans, it delivers enough protein to satisfy those who are skeptical of vegetarian fare.
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 40 min. Cook: 25 min.
YIELD: 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts
1 serving: 329 calories, 19g fat (4g saturated fat), 140mg cholesterol, 422mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 7g fiber), 12g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 fat, 2 vegetable, 2 medium-fat meat, 11/2 starch.