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Food & Wine Recipe

Spanish Chopped Summer Salad

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  • SERVINGS: 6
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This salad appears in endless variations around the Mediterranean. If you replace the ham and hard-cooked eggs with feta cheese and marinated sardines or anchovies, you have the Turkish version.

  1. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  2. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  3. 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  4. 1 serrano chile, minced
  5. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  7. 4 large tomatoes (about 2 pounds)—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
  8. 2 medium cucumbers—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
  9. 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  10. 1 small red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  11. 1 small green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  12. 1 pound romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
  13. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  14. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint
  15. 1 cup oil-cured black olives (about 1/4 pound), halved and pitted
  16. 1/2 cup finely chopped baked ham or Serrano ham (1/4 pound)
  17. 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
  1. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar with the lemon juice, garlic and chile. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to make a dressing.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes with the cucumbers, onion, bell peppers, romaine, parsley and mint. Add the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Transfer the salad to a large platter and scatter the olives, ham and chopped eggs on top. Serve immediately.

Suggested Pairing

A tangy white with bite and some oak will match the bold flavors of this salad. A traditional Spanish white, such as one from Rioja or Penedès is the best choice.