Hello sunshine! We’ve had so much rain this past week, that as soon as the sun came out this weekend, it felt like spring… which may explain why I felt the need to post this spring-like salad in mid-autumn. I’ll probably regret not having a pot of hot soup at the ready when the drizzle resumes! {Every time I talk about rain, I really, really want to say ‘minging’, because that’s what my British friend would say, and it makes me laugh}. But seriously, this is a warm salad, it’s a hearty salad, most of all it’s an anytime kind of salad; one that uses a handful of ingredients… and my least favourite vegetable.
Potatoes: they only really got back on the menu once the boy discovered mashed potatoes. If you, like me, grew up eating boiled potatoes every other night for dinner, you probably don’t jump at the chance to eat them now, either. There are few things that I would rather eat less. BUT if those potatoes were smothered in pesto, well then I might just reconsider. Because basil pesto is one of my favourite things – if it’s written into the title of any recipe, I’m in! It already features in another salad recipe here on this blog, and is likely to appear again very soon, with absolutely no apologies for repetition!
I admire people who make their own pesto from scratch; I don’t (mostly because we’ve not had much luck growing our own basil). For now, I’m content using the good stuff out of the jar, and it certainly means that this dish is super-quick and on the table in under 30 minutes (note to self: check this before posting recipe to the blog)! It’s more a date-night-in kind of recipe, as the toddler won’t touch it, but it certainly goes down a treat with the adult members of this little household. Hubby raves about it every time it comes around on the menu rotation; because it’s simple, it’s fresh and well frankly, delicious!
Warm potato and tuna salad with pesto dressing
Serves 4
Ingredients
650g new potatoes, halved lengthwise if large
2 tablespoons pesto
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes (I usually double this number)
185g can tuna, in springwater
200g green beans, trimmed and halved
A couple handfuls spinach, preferably baby leaves, torn if larger
Method
Mix pesto and oil to make dressing. Set aside.
Halve tomatoes, drain and flake tuna.
Boil potatoes for 8-10 minutes until tender. Add beans for the final 3 minutes. Drain potatoes and beans and tip into salad bowl. Stir in spinach so that it wilts. Season with salt and pepper.
Scatter tomatoes and tuna on top, drizzle over pesto and then toss together.
Adapted a little from BBC Good Food