Summer Salad with Tuna and Fava Beans
Instructions:
- 2 small heads of lettuce of your choice, whichever is freshest
- 4 small ripe but firm tomatoes, cut into 4 wedges each
- 1 cup (1/2 pound) pitted black olives, halved (225 g)
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into narrow strips
- 1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 white bunching onions, or 1 small white or red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 8 anchovy fillets, cut into small pieces
- 1 can (5 ounces) oil-packed tuna, drained (165 g)
- 1 1/ 2 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled and peeled (675 g)
- 3 raw artichoke hearts, very thinly sliced and rubbed with lemon (optional but desirable)
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- 4 hard-cooked eggs, cut into
- 4 wedges each
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon powdered mustard, preferably Colman
- 1/ 2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (135 ml)
- 1 1 /2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, oregano, or tarragon, or a combination of herbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Think of this as a Roman salade nicoise: a bright summer salad chock full of fabulous fresh vegetables, tuna fish, and eggs, lightly dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. We usually present insalata estiva as a starter, because it stimulates your appetite as an antipasto should, but it can also be served as a light main course.
- Prepare all the ingredients for the salad. Make sure your salad greens are dry.
- Toss the greens with some of the vinaigrette in the salad bowl. Add all the other ingredients, except the eggs. Toss and pour the remaining dressing over the salad. Arrange the egg wedges on top of the salad and serve at once.