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Emily Nunn's clever Department of Salad newsletter is an endless font of salad wisdom. If you are a salad lover, we suggest subscribing—you won't be disappointed. Of course, she was the first person we thought of for our "Salad a Day" promotion in July, and we were thrilled when she agreed to share this flavor-packed white bean salad.
She says: "This salad is very adjustable. You can leave out the arugula (but I wouldn’t) and serve it in a big bowl. You can leave off the spicy garlicky topper—which I added in bloops once I spread the salad on a platter, which is why I have named it “salad bloop”— or bring it to the table for diners to add themselves. You can add more beans (but I wanted tomatoes to be the leader here). You can add a lot more arugula. I love it the way I have it, but I also trust you and I hope you trust yourself.
You do NOT even have to dress the individual elements separately if you don’t want to; I’m convinced the end product is more flavorful if you combine it in dressed layers and less apt to go limp, but feel free to toss it all together in a big bowl and serve."
- 1½ cups cooked small white beans (I used Rancho Gordo Alubia Blancas; a canned substitute would be navy beans, but the texture will not be nearly as good in this salad)
- 2 heaping cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 pound cooked shrimp, tail removed, cut crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces (depending on the size shrimp; I used medium)
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 1 heaping tablespoon drained capers, roughly chopped, plus 1 or 2 teaspoons more for garnish
- 2 handfuls baby arugula (about 2 packed cups; you can add more if you want to stretch the dish)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon Garlic Dressing (below)
- Spicy Garlic Salad Bloop (below), optional
Serves 4
- In a small bowl, gently toss the beans and tomatoes together with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the Lemon Garlic Dressing; set aside.
- In a small bowl, toss the shrimp together with a tablespoon or so of the Lemon Garlic Dressing; add the lemon zest, the heaping tablespoon of chopped capers, and several grindings of black pepper; toss again to coat and set aside.
- Place the baby arugula in a serving bowl and toss with a couple of tablespoons of the dressing; add the beans and tomatoes and the shrimp and toss again to combine. Taste for more dressing, salt and pepper.
- You may serve this directly from the bowl, garnished with the remaining capers, passing around the Spicy Garlic Salad Bloop from a little bowl or pitcher at the table, for diners to dollop atop their servings. Or you may spread the salad on a platter, dollop with the Spicy Garlic Salad Bloop, garnish with the remaining capers, and serve.
Lemon Garlic Dressing
Makes 1¼ cups
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake together all ingredients. Taste and adjust—you might like another teaspoon of Dijon mustard or more salt. This makes more than enough for 2 or3 salads. You may wish to cut it in half.
Spicy Garlic Salad Bloop
- 1 cup mayo (I prefer Duke’s)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Zest of ½ lemon, reserved
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, grated (I use my microplane)
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, more to taste (I use one or two more shakes from the bottle, but I have hot mouth)
- Pinch of cayenne
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for the lemon zest. Taste for salt and lemon and Tabasco and adjust. Before serving, whisk in the lemon zest.