The Everything Salad Book (13 page)

PER SERVING

Calories:..........295

Fat:..........16 g

Protein:..........9.5 g

Sodium:..........600 mg

Fiber:..........2 g

Carbohydrate:..........28 g

Asiago is a hard and sharp Italian cheese often used in the same way as Parmesan cheese. If you cannot find Asiago, use shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese.

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and place pasta in a large mixing bowl. While pasta cooks, peel the cucumber and cut it into quartered slices.
   

2. Whisk vinegar, sugar, garlic paste, red pepper, salt, and white pepper together in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well, making sure the sugar dissolves completely. Whisk oil into bowl and mix until emulsified. Pour mixture over cooked pasta and toss to mix.
   

3. Add cucumbers, olives, mushrooms, and Asiago cheese to the pasta. Toss gently, but thoroughly, to mix and coat. Serve immediately or cover and chill in refrigerator for up to 2 hours before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........297

Fat:..........16 g

Protein:..........7 g

Sodium:..........300 mg

Fiber:..........2 g

Carbohydrate:..........35 g

Manzanilla olives, also known as Spanish olives, are medium-sized green-brown olives soaked in brine to keep the flesh firm. The brined olives are usually pitted and stuffed with pimento, garlic, and/or peppers. Their sharp and smoky flavor makes them popular as appetizers and drink garnishes.

Pair this recipe with tortilla chips to turn it into a dip or serve it over a bed of iceberg lettuce to turn it into a lunchtime entrée.

1. Drain and rinse the black beans and pinto beans. Place beans in a large mixing bowl.
   

2. Whisk the salad dressing, olive oil, cilantro, green onion, lime juice, and cayenne pepper together in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk for at least 30 seconds, or until the oil is fully mixed in.
   

3. Pour the dressing over the beans and mix well. Stir the tomatoes, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion into the salad. Chill for 1–6 hours before serving. Mix well before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........156

Fat:..........9 g

Protein:..........4.5 g

Sodium:..........415 mg

Fiber:..........4 g

Carbohydrate:..........16 g

If you prefer fresh beans over canned, you need to soak them first to soften each bean and help remove sugars that cause gas. Pick through the dried beans before soaking to remove any gravel or dirt. Place beans in a large bowl and add 3 cups water for every 1 cup of beans. Cover the bowl, place it in the refrigerator and let the beans soak for 8 hours.

This salad can be served as a vegetarian main course by serving it over mixed salad greens. You could add some chopped toasted walnuts, too, for flavor and crunch.

1. Prepare green beans and wax beans as packages direct. Drain well and place warmed beans in serving bowl along with drained chickpeas and kidney beans.
   

2. In small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, celery seed, salt, and pepper and mix well with wire whisk. Drizzle over vegetables and stir to coat.
   

3. Cover salad and refrigerate at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally, before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........433

Fat:..........16 g

Protein:..........17 g

Sodium:..........397 mg

Fiber:..........18 g

Carbohydrate:..........59 g

If you prefer your bean salad on the dry side, drain the dressing from the bowl after the salad has had time to marinate.

1. Drain and rinse the kidney beans, pinto beans, and black-eyed peas. Place beans in a large mixing bowl. Stir celery, peanuts, and shallots into the bowl.
   

2. Whisk lime juice, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt, chipotle pepper, and cumin together in a small bowl. Mix until sugar dissolves completely.
   

3. Pour dressing over beans and mix well. Drizzle oil over salad and mix well. Cover bowl with lid and place in refrigerator. Let salad marinate for 1–12 hours. Mix well before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........185

Fat:..........7 g

Protein:..........7.5 g

Sodium:..........379 mg

Fiber:..........4 g

Carbohydrate:..........26 g

Squeezing fresh lime juice is an easy way to give a kick of flavor to any dish. Press the whole lime with your hand and roll it across the counter to help loosen the juice. Cut the lime in half by width and twist it over the cone of a hand juicer. Once juiced, you can throw the skin away or carefully grate off the lime zest to use in another dish.

Cannellini beans are Italian white kidney beans. You can use white navy beans instead of the northern or cannellini beans if preferred.

1. Fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and pat away excess grease with a paper towel. Discard drippings. Crumble bacon into a large mixing bowl.
   

2. Drain and rinse white, cannellini, kidney, and pinto beans. Add beans and onion to bacon.
   

3. Combine remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix well. Stir dressing into salad. Mix well.
   

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Chill salad for at least 2 hours before serving. Mix well before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........212

Fat:..........8.5 g

Protein:..........11 g

Sodium:..........437 mg

Fiber:..........5.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........24 g

This spicy bean salad tastes great served alone or heaped over a piece of grilled chicken.

1. Remove the seeds from the jalapeño and chop the flesh into very fine pieces. Stir the jalapeño, oil, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, lime zest, onion salt, and black pepper together in a large mixing bowl.
   

2. Drain and rinse the black beans, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. Stir the beans into the bowl.
   

3. Add tomato, celery, and onion to the beans. Stir gently to mix. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Chill salad for at least 4 hours before serving. Gently mix before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........160

Fat:..........7 g

Protein:..........5.5 g

Sodium:..........341 mg

Fiber:..........5 g

Carbohydrate:..........20 g

Cuban cuisine is a mix of African, Spanish, and Caribbean cultures with a hint of South American influence. Cuban dishes are often made with the freshest possible ingredients, even if the recipe calls for sweet fruit or spicy peppers. The food is known for always being flavorful, and you can rest assured that no Cuban meal will ever taste bland or plain.

This salad requires at least 12 hours to marinate fully before serving, so make it the night before to give it plenty of time to soak up the flavors in the dressing.

1. Whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar, and water in a large mixing bowl. Mix until sugar fully dissolves.
   

2. Add peas, green beans, celery, pimentos, green onions, and carrots to bowl. Mix well to coat thoroughly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place salad in refrigerator. Let the salad marinate overnight, or at least for 12 hours.
   

3. Mix salad well after marinating. Drain dressing from salad and discard. Serve salad immediately after draining.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........174

Fat:..........7 g

Protein:..........2 g

Sodium:..........28 mg

Fiber:..........3 g

Carbohydrate:..........26 g

This salad is easy to mix and match with different beans. You can add sugar snaps, yellow beans, kidney beans, or whatever else you have on hand without ruining the flavor.

1. Drain and rinse the green, cannellini, wax, and garbanzo beans. Cut the green beans and wax beans in half by width. Place beans in a large mixing bowl.
   

2. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, syrup, salt, zest, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well. Add oil to bowl and mix until emulsified.
   

3. Drizzle dressing over beans and mix well. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator. Let beans marinate for 1 hour. Remove bowl from fridge and mix well. Grate Parmigiano-Reggiano into the bowl and toss to mix. Serve immediately.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........268

Fat:..........6.5 g

Protein:..........14 g

Sodium:..........808 mg

Fiber:..........12 g

Carbohydrate:..........39 g

Generally, cheap Parmesan is a powdery, grated cheese substance flavored to mimic Parmigiano-Reggiano. Parmigiano-Reggiano is the real thing, a hard and sharp-flavored cheese sold in wedges or shredded into little slivers. While cheap Parmesan may taste fine over pasta sauces, there is a vast flavor and texture difference between the fake and real stuff. For the best results, never substitute cheap Parmesan for Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Reserve a few red and green bell pepper rings to use as a colorful garnish for this filling bean salad.

1. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for 4–5 minutes until the onions are just beginning to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until warm.
   

2. Stir the vinegar, peppers, parsley, and sugar into the onions and garlic.
   

3. Combine beans in a large mixing bowl. Pour onion mixture over beans and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and garnish with pepper rings. Serve immediately or cover and chill in refrigerator for up to 3 hours before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........177

Fat:..........3.5 g

Protein:..........7.5 g

Sodium:..........79 mg

Fiber:..........5.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........27 g