One of the things I like best about these greens is that they’re good cooked or uncooked. The leaves of dandelions and amaranth are quite tough, so if they are to be used in a salad, they should be cut in very thin ribbons, or chiffonade. Cooking diminishes their bitterness and gives endives a velvety texture that I love. This crunchy salad is about as high in omega-3 fats as a salad can be.
Ingredients
For the purslane salad with mushrooms, walnuts and olives
- 1 generous bunch purslane, thick stems cut away (about 4 cups), washed and dried
- 6 medium-size cremini or white mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and sliced
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced celery (from the heart of the celery)
- 1 tablespoon minced celery leaves
- ¼ cup broken walnuts
- 12 kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
- ¼ cup crumbled feta (1 ounce)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, green shoot removed, minced or pureed
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- freshly ground pepper
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
161 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 63 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Serves six
Preparation
For the purslane salad with mushrooms, walnuts and olives
- Combine the purslane, mushrooms, celery, celery leaves, walnuts, olives and feta in a large salad bowl.
- Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil and pepper. Toss with the salad and serve.
- Advance preparation: This salad can be assembled and refrigerated for several hours. Toss just before serving. Leftovers won’t get too soggy, due to the succulent nature of the purslane. Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
5 minutes
Dining and Cooking