Ensalada Mediterranea

It's too hot for stews and soups unless it is a cold soup. As Spain is playing today, I toyed with an idea of making some gaspacho. But my failure to make a gaspacho many-many moons ago has entered the family lore, so I decided I would be safer with a salad. Having googled for Spanish salad recipes, I liked the sound of Ensalada Mediterranea or Mediterranean Salad. I found the recipe on La Tienda The Best of Spain site (see their recipe here). As for the list of ingredients, I followed the recipe close enough, but I am not good at ounces and cups, so the measurements are all different, I guess.

Mediterranean Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tins of John West Infusions tuna (lemon & thyme), 80g each
1 tin of haricot beans (240g in drained weight)
24 mixed green and black olives
1 jar of red pepper (I used Fragata Pimiento Piquilo)
zest of 1 lemon
chopped parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1tsp vinegar
sea salt, pepper

Finely chop the spring onions and slice the pepper thinly. Drain the haricot beans and rinse them with cold water, as their water is quite slimey. Mix well all the ingredients in a big bowl. Season well.
Serve with a nice slice of bread. A glass of wine wouldn't go amiss.
This salad could be a lovely starter or even a main course, depending on the size of your portions.

Fragata Pimiento Piquilo are sweet Spanish peppers, lovely in salads or dips with cream cheese. They are very moreish.

Chris from Cooking Around the World has challenged the foodies to take part in a culinary-football-themed game this month. Read all about the rules of the game in his linky Bloggers Around the World.