Patricia Wells has a new book out — and it’s all about salads: “Salad as a Meal” (WM Morrow, 2011). I want to make so many recipes from it, but this is the first we tried. We loved it in front of the TV with a mug of Dorie Greenspan’s Squash, Fennel and Pear soup.
Chicken Salad with Peas, Feta and Mint
From Salad as a Meal by Patricia Wells (WM Morrow, 2011)
1 cup shelled or frozen peas (no need to thaw)
3 small spring onions or scallions, white part only, trimmed, peeled and cut into thin rounds
4 ounces Greek feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, cut into a chiffonade
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
2 heads baby romaine, coarsely shredded
4 radishes, rinsed, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
Creamy Lemon Chive Dressing (recipe here)
Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Fill a pasta pot with a colander insert with 3 quarts of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add salt and peas and blanch until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Immediately remove the colander from the water, letting the ater drain from the peas. Plunge the peas into the ice water so they cool down as quickly as possibl. Drain the peas and return them to the colander. (Store the peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four hours.)
In a large shallow bowl, combine all the ingredients except the dressing. Toss with just enough dressing to coat the ingredients lightly and evenly. Taste for seasoning. Arrange the salad on dinner plates and serve.
Serves 4.
