Mediterranean Veggies & Shells Salad
- 1 c uncooked medium pasta shells
- 1/2 c kidney beans
- 1/2 c garbanzo beans
- 1/2 c navy beans
- 1 c Haricots Verts (fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 c minced onion
- 1 c chopped bell peppers (I used yellow, orange & red)
- 1 small chopped jalapeño
- 1/2 c chopped celery
- 2 T capers
- 3-4 T chopped fresh herbs – I used parsley, cilantro & thyme
Boil pasta in 6 cups heavily salted water for twelve minutes. Place the Haricots Verts in a colander. When the pasta is cooked pour into the colander with the beans, draining the pasta while blanching the beans. Set aside to cool. Place the rest of the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the pasta and Haricots Verts to the bowl and combine. Pour the dressing (recipe below) over the mixture and stir to combine. Eat now or refrigerate for later.
Dressing:
- 3-4 T fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 2 t sugar
- 1 T dijon mustard
- 1/2 t garlic powder
- red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste
I mixed this together in a Mason jar, shaking it vigorously before lightly dressing the salad.
Depending on what you have on hand, you could substitute ingredients for some of these:
- cucumber
- chopped carrots
- green olives
- basil, mint, oregano or chives
So go crazy and create your own combination- it’s all about having fun while making delicious, healthy food right?
