This aromatic salad is inspired by Persian cooking. It has everything I love about the Middle Eastern cuisine; there is a perfect balance of spicy, sour, bitter and sweet flavors. It features some of the essential ingredients of regional Iranian cooking: dried lime powder and sumac, which give this dish its acidity and depth. You can find it online and at Middle Eastern groceries.
Spiced New Potatoes with Feta, Olives, Arugula and Herbs
Course: SidesCuisine: Middle EasternDifficulty: Simple4
servings20
minutes30
minutesA perfect balance of flavors makes this new-potato, arugula, feta and olive salad very satisfying.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons dried lime powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sumac
1 pound small new potatoes, such as baby reds, halved
3/4 pound shallots, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup olive oil
3 ounces feta cheese, freshly crumbled
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 cups baby arugula
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup roughly torn mint, parsley, dill and/or basil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450F / 230C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place potatoes in a medium-size pot, cover with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 8 – 10 minutes. In a small bowl mix 1 1/2 tablespoons dried lime powder with smoked paprika, a generous pinch of salt, a few cranks of pepper and sumac.
- Drain and transfer potatoes to a medium bowl. Add shallots, half the olive oil and spice mix, and toss to evenly coat. Season with salt and spread everything in the lined baking sheet. Roast on center rack until potatoes are crisp and brown on edges and shallots are completely soft, about 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix lemon juice with a pinch of salt, a few cranks of pepper and remaining dried lime powder. Stir in honey and remaining olive oil.
- To serve, transfer the roasted potato-shallot mixture to a platter or individual plates. Top with feta and olives. In a large bowl, lightly dress arugula with honey dressing and season with salt. Mound salad over potatoes and finish by scattering herbs overtop.
