Creamy Sunchoke and Leek Salad

In the mood for a creamy salad that doesn't have potatoes or macaroni in it? I was too! A salad that's great with some grilled chicken and a green side salad; that's a little different and a little fun. So I opened my fridge and did some experimenting. The internal conversation I had with myself while making this salad went a little like this:

"Hmm...okay...why not?"  (The initial sunchoke and leek combo)
"That could be interesting." (Adding in the egg.)
"Oh no...I don't know about this..." (The above combination)
"Eek, I think I just screwed up." (Adding in the heart of palm)
"Maybe not." (Adding in the pistachios.)
"Okay, I think we're getting somewhere." (Tossing in the beans.)

Finally ending at: "This is gonna be yummy!"(It's hard to really ruin anything with mayonnaise isn't it?) And it was! The hubby tested it and approved! He loved it and I hope you do too. Enjoy!

 

• 1/2 pound sunchokes, peeled
• 1&1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 1 hard boiled egg, minced
• 1/3 cup small white beans
• 1/3 cup minced heart of palm
• 1 tablespoon raw pistachios, finely minced plus a little for garnish
• a tablespoon finely minced parsley plus a leaf of two for garnish
• 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Toss in a wedge of lemon or lime with the sunchokes and cover them with cold water and bring them to a boil, lower the heat to low for about 15 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain them and rinse with cold water and chop them fine. With the leek, rinse well to remove any sand and chop them about the size of the sunchoke pieces, then rinse again. Bring some water to a boil and toss them in for about a minute or two, until the green part of the leek is tender. Then drain and rinse with cold water. Combine the sunchokes and leeks with the rest of the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with the pistachios and the parsley. Serves about 3. Double the recipe for a bigger crowd.