Wax Bean, Roasted Pepper, and Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese

A tart vinaigrette dresses this fresh combination of mild-tasting wax beans, sweet roasted red bell pepper, and juicy cherry tomatoes. Pungent goat cheese adds an extra dimension of flavor. To save time, you can use bottled roasted red bell peppers; just rinse them well to remove as much of the briny flavor as possible.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1  medium red bell pepper
• 2  quarts water
• 2 1/2  teaspoons  salt, divided
• 1  pound  wax beans, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
• 2  cups  cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2  cup  sliced green onions
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 2  tablespoons  cider vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise, and discard the seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil pepper halves 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and cut into strips.

Bring 2 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add beans; cook 4 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Drain; place in a large bowl. Add bell pepper strips, tomatoes, onions, and parsley; toss to combine.

Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cider vinegar, and remaining ingredients except goat cheese, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

63 (36% from fat)

Fat:

2.5g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.3g)

Protein:

3g

Carbohydrate:

8.9g

Fiber:

2.7g

Cholesterol:

3mg

Iron:

1.2mg

Sodium:

289mg

Calcium:

40mg