- 4 large handfuls Soft Bed Salad Blend or preferred salad blend
- 2 avocados pitted, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes we use a mixture of red and yellow, halved
- 8 stalks hearts of palm blanched* and cut into 1-inch pieces (**At Freds, we use fresh hearts of palm, blanched in salted water for about 30 to 40 minutes, and then chilled. Since you may have difficulty finding fresh hearts of palm, canned ones are perfectly acceptable.)
- 1 clove garlic sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 16 jumbo shrimp ask your fishmonger for Mexican or Ecuadorian white shrimp, U-12 size, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup white wine
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Green Goddess Dressing or to taste
- 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and cut into halves or quarters
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chervil leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh curly parsley
- 6 fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1/2 cup raw spinach finely chopped
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 anchovy filets mashed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 6 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons good commercial mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
- 2 shakes Tabasco sauce optional, if you like it a little spicy
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Trim and rinse all the lettuces and dry in a salad spinner. Gently tear them into bite-size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the avocado, tomatoes, and hearts of palm and gently mix together. Set aside while you cook the shrimp.
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Cook the garlic in the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Add the shrimp, then the wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 4 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked. Turn off heat and set aside while you dress the salad.
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Drizzle dressing to your taste (start slowly — you don’t want to overdress, and you can always add more) into the bowl of salad and mix together well. Divide the salad equally among four or six plates. Place the shrimp, divided equally, on top of the salads and arrange the eggs on top. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.
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Place all the herbs, the spinach, shallot, anchovies, salt, white pepper, and water in the bowl of a food processor. Blend together until the mixture forms a paste. Add the vinegar, yogurt, mayonnaise, and mustard and slowly blend together well. With the processor on a low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil in a slow stream until the dressing is emulsified. Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire, and Tabasco (if using), and blend together well. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. Will keep for up to 1 week.
Like many salad dressings, it’s optimal to make this a day before serving, to let the flavors meld and reach their peak. If you can’t manage a full day, at least make it 2 hours before you use it. It’s best to make it in a food processor so it will come out very smooth and emulsified. However, it is possible to make by hand or with an immersion blender; if you do, be sure to chop all the herbs, the shallot, and the anchovies very, very finely, with a mezzaluna or sharp chef’s knife, before blending together