This Mediterranean-inspired salad is delicious proof of how effortless and quick it can be to pull together an elegant, satisfying, healthy meal. It's just a matter of elevating cupboard staples with a few fresh, flavorful, easy-prep ingredients. Here canned white beans and tuna are upgraded with a bright lemon-oregano dressing, served on a bed of crisp radicchio and lettuce and garnished with fresh parsley leaves. Serve it with some good crusty bread for a meal that is simply stunning. I call for olive oil-packed tuna for its decadently rich taste and texture. Enjoy this salad with some crusty whole-grain bread or Parmesan-Herb Flatbread Crackers.
1 large lemon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium head radicchio
1 heart of romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 15-ounce can low sodium cannellini beans
2 stalks celery
Two 5-ounce jars or cans olive oil-packed solid light tuna
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
Finely zest the lemon over a small bowl, then squeeze the lemon juice (about 1/4 cup) into the bowl. Add the oregano, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.
Core the radicchio and the romaine and tear the leaves coarsely into a large bowl. Toss with the oil and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice mixture, then spread the leaves out on a serving platter.
Drain and rinse the beans and transfer them to the large bowl that held the lettuce. Slice the celery on the diagonal and add to the bowl. Drain the tuna and add to the bowl along with the remaining lemon juice mixture. Toss to combine.
Distribute the tuna and beans over the lettuce on the platter, then garnish with the parsley leaves.
Serving Size: about 3 cups
Calories: 330; Total Fat 16g (Sat Fat 3g, Mono Fat 5.4g, Poly Fat 0.7g); Protein 26g; Carb 21g; Fiber 6g; Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 630mg
Excellent Source of: Fiber, Protein, Thiamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Good Source of: Copper, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc
Reprinted with permission from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, from Weeknight Wonders by Ellie Krieger. Photography by Quentin Bacon. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
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