Farmers' Market Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette
This colorful salad is brimming with a bounty of fresh produce from the farmers’ market. To vary the texture and visual appeal, the vegetables are cut in a variety of ways—thinly shaved, spiralized and cubed. Like the traditional French salade niçoise, it is a composed salad, served at the table with the ingredients artfully arranged in a bowl. Toss the salad just before serving, adding more dressing as desired.
Ingredients
For the avocado vinaigrette:
- 1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
- 2 Tbs. cider vinegar
- 2 Tbs. water
- 2 tsp. grated orange zest
- 2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. quinoa, rinsed- 3 heads Belgian endive, leaves separated
- 2 watermelon radishes, trimmed and thinly shaved
- 1 head radicchio, cored and leaves separated
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 beet, peeled and spiralized
- 3 cups (3 oz./90 g) watercress leaves or arugula
- 1 cup (5 oz./155 g) shelled English peas
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) sugar snap peas, halved lengthwise
- 1/2 cup (1/2 oz./15 g) fresh mint leaves
- 1 tsp. black sesame seeds
- Flaky sea salt
Directions
To make the vinaigrette, scoop the avocado into a medium bowl and mash well. Add the vinegar, water, orange zest and juice, lemon juice, garlic and honey. Whisking contantly, slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a small fry pan over medium-high heat, toast the quinoa, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a large salad bowl or on a platter, arrange the endive, radishes, radicchio, avocado, beet, watercress, peas, sugar snap peas and mint leaves in separate piles. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette evenly over the salad and sprinkle with the quinoa, sesame seeds and flaky sea salt. At the table, toss the salad to coat the vegetables with the vinaigrette. Taste and add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired. Serves 2 to 4.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen