Last night I served this end-of-summer salad from the NYT Food section with roast chicken. Crisp-tender green beans are tossed with halved cherry tomatoes, chickpeas and feta cheese for a side dish that also steps in as a filling, protein-packed lunch entree.
Don’t be put off by the WW Points for this salad. I’ve given the NYT amounts in the ingredient list, but you can lower the Points by one or two by using 1/4 cup feta cheese instead of 1/2 cup and reducing the olive oil to 2 Tbsp. The lesser amounts aren’t likely to lessen its refreshing lemony tang.
You can even forget the side dish idea and make it for several days worth of lunches. The protein in the chickpeas will keep you going throughout the afternoon and justifies the WW Points. So go ahead and make it as is. No need to deprive yourself. You can enjoy great food and lose weight.
3/4 lb. green beans, preferably slender haricots verts, trimmed 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup (4 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled 2 to 3 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh dill, for serving
Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add 1 tsp. salt and green beans. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer beans to a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain in a colander and blot beans dry with kitchen towel.
Make the dressing: in a small bowl, put lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Whisk in olive oil.
Make the salad: add cherry tomatoes, green beans and chickpeas to a large salad bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add dressing and toss to coat. Add feta and gently toss once more. Let marinate for 10 to 15 minutes, top with dill and serve.
Serves 6