It’s spring… yes, technically, it’s spring here in the northern hemisphere and beyond the tropical zones. If you’re living in Europe at the time of publication, you’ll understand why I’m emphasizing this. Here’s a light recipe to summon some nicer weather: a summer or spring salad that’s refreshing and works as a complete meal.
Salads often suffer from being either too bland or overloaded. We aim for a balance: enough variety to avoid the single lettuce leaf effect, but not the fridge-leftover mishmash drowned in mayo either… it’s about balance.
for 4 servings :
- 400g cooked, cooled Soba noodles
Soba noodles are tricky to prepare properly. If you’re not confident, consider buying pre-made ones from a reliable source like Tang Frères. And if you think you can manage with a pasta machine, good luck—hope you enjoy making buckwheat Crozets instead!
- 4 small zucchinis (120g each)
- 2 cucumbers (or 400g cucumber)
- 100g mini mozzarella balls
- 80g sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cans of parpelettes of white tuna (or 150g of white tuna chunks in oil—your choice)
*Parpelettes* are the equivalent of O-Toro from an albacore tuna. As far as I know, our friends at La Belle-Iloise are the only ones who make it. It’s pricey, but you don’t need much.
- 16 basil leaves
- Juice of one lemon
- An equivalent amount of olive oil
- 4 pinches of Espelette pepper flakes
This is a salad, but we’ll make it more interesting by cutting the vegetables into tagliatelle-like strips. Grab your mandoline.
Zucchini, Trim the ends, then slice lengthwise into strips 1.5–1.8mm thick. Cut each strip lengthwise in half and discard any seedy parts that will fall apart during cooking. Blanch these strips in boiling water for no more than 3 minutes, then cool them under a stream of cold water and let them drain in a colander. Once dry, refrigerate.
Cucumber, Treat similarly. First, cut each cucumber in half crosswise—trying to mandoline a whole cucumber is impractical and risks slicing your fingers. Slice into long, thin strips, then cut into tagliatelle-size pieces. Refrigerate.
the dressing is a lemon-based vinaigrette with Espelette pepper for a touch of vegetal heat. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the Espelette pepper.
Arrange the ingredients as three separate nests in each of four plates:
– Place the mozzarella on the zucchini,
– Tuna on the Soba noodles,
– Sun-dried tomatoes on the cucumber.
Use the basil as you like: finely chopped for the cucumber-tomato combo, whole leaves for the Soba-tuna pairing, and free choice with the zucchini-mozzarella.
Serve the sauce on the side. Voilà!
looks like that with the sauce on
