Pimentos are a member of the chile family and the pickled version is a wonderful addition to salads. They can be found at most better grocery stores, either in the olive bar or the international foods section.
Tender Greens With Pimentos, Cornbread Croutons & Cheddar Cheese
30 min
| Serves 4 |
338 calories per serving
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 ounces ready-to-eat tender greens such as baby romaine or mesclun mix
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 12 pickled pimentos, plus more for dressing (see below)
- 1/2 cup canned or cooked garbanzo beans, drained
- 1/2 cup cornbread croutons
- 1 1/2 ounces aged cheddar cheese, grated
- Scant 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Picante Pimento Vinaigrette
- 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 small pickled pimentos, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons pimento pickling juice
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
Make the cornbread croutons.
While the croutons bake, make the dressing: In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients accept the salt and pepper and mix on a medium high speed until the pimentos have reached the consistency of relish and the ingredients are well combined. Taste test the dressing on a piece of lettuce. Add the salt and pepper to taste and adjust the amount of garlic according to your preferences.
Once the croutons have reached a nice golden color, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Assemble the salad: Transfer all of the salad ingredients to a serving bowl, reserving a few of the pimentos and croutons for garnish. Toss the salad with a light but thorough coating of the dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper according to taste. Garnish the salad with the reserved pimentos and croutons. Serve, and enjoy!
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