Mixed Vegetable Salad
Ensalada MixtaMaria Marquez Merrill, of San Miguel de Allende, was tour guide, interpreter, and cooking teacher for several tours that I led to the region. Maria prepared this salad during one of our cooking classes. We cooked the vegetables in the morning, and assembled the salad just before serving.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 4 small new potatoes about 9 ounces, unpeeled
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces
- ¼ of a medium cauliflower cut into small florets
- ¼ pound fresh green beans cut into 1-inch lengths
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped or cubed
- 6 to 8 inner romaine lettuce leaves
- ½ cup Basic Vinaigrette
Instructions
- In a medium pan of boiling water to cover, cook the potatoes until tender, but not soft, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Cool under running water, peel, and cut into 3⁄4-inch cubes.
- Put into a large bowl and set aside.
- Cook the carrots, cauliflower, and green beans, each separately, uncovered, until crisp-tender.
- The carrots take about 4 minutes, cauliflower about 3 minutes, and the green beans about 6 minutes.
- Rinse each vegetable through a sieve under cold running water to stop the cooking.
- Shake excess water.
- Put the cooked vegetables in the bowl with the potatoes.
- Add the salt and olive oil, and toss gently.
- Cover and refrigerate until the vegetables are cold, at least 1 hour.
- Remove the vegetables from the refrigerator shortly before serving and add the tomatoes.
- Toss the salad with sufficient vinaigrette to coat generously.
- Line a shallow bowl or serving platter with the romaine leaves.
- Mound the vegetables on the lettuce.
- Serve cold.