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

1. In a small bowl, gently toss the beans and tomatoes together with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the Lemon Garlic Dressing; set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.