Author Notes
This beautiful salad can easily steal the show at any dinner, what with its bright colours and punchy flavours. Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe, our version incorporates canned artichokes for ease, and cayenne pepper because what's life without a little spice? —boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
20 ounces
canned artichoke hearts, drained
-
2
shallots
-
4 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice
-
1 tablespoon
whole grain mustard
-
1/2 cup
white balsamic
-
3/4 cup
fresh basil leaves, washed and torn
-
1/2 cup
capers, drained
-
1/2 cup
red onion, minced
-
1 cup
fresh parsley leaves, chopped
-
3
roasted red peppers, chopped
-
2 tablespoons
cayenne pepper
-
1 cup
spinach, chopped
Directions
-
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 F, and then tossing the artichokes in a combination of EVOO and salt & pepper to taste. Lay the artichokes out flat along a baking pan, and into the oven they go! They should remain in the oven for about 30 minutes, and be flipped halfway through.
-
While the artichokes were ‘roasting’ (is it possible to roast something that has been canned?) set to work on the dressing. Combine the shallots, mustard, white balsamic (only 4 tbsps at this point), chili powder and lemon juice, and blend the mixture for about five seconds.
-
Then add the basil, and blend that until it is pureed into a nice consistency. Then add 1 cup EVOO to the mix, all while blending. Once everything is blended, set the vinaigrette aside. After 30 minutes, remove the artichokes from the oven.
-
After letting them cool for about 10 minutes, combine the artichokes, vinaigrette and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and leave to sit. When I made this, the salad had about 90 minutes to sit, which was perfect to allow the flavours to meld. A super easy, healthy and delicious salad, perfect for hot summer nights!
See what other Food52ers are saying.