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Dinner Salad of Sea Scallops and Greens
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
This is a delicious dinner salad with seared sea scallops, summer lettuce, potatoes, goat cheese and fruit. There is just enough of salt, acid, fat, and sweet for a truly composed and healthy meal. A perfect dinner for date night in.
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
Vinaigrette - Makes about 1 cup
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml good quality white wine vinegar* champagne vinegar, or sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp minced shallot
  • 1 tsp minced fresh herb like tarragon lemon thyme, or basil
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 3/4 cup / 185 ml olive oil
Salad
  • 1 head Boston bib lettuce cleaned and dried
  • 4-6 baby new potatoes or fingerings
  • 8 spears asparagus or small handful of green beans cleaned and trimmed
  • 1/2 apricot or peach* thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 oz / 46 g soft goat cheese like Montrachet
  • 1 TB fresh herb the same one you used in the vinaigrette
  • 8-10 large sea scallops
  • Kosher Salt for seasoning
  • 1 TB Olive Oil
Instructions
Cook the potatoes
  1. Fill a medium sauce pan with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the washed, whole potatoes to the boiling water and cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork 15 - 20 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Start checking at 10 minutes and every 5 minutes or so thereafter. When the potatoes are done, remove them from the water and let cool. Once they are cool, cut into wedges and lightly drizzle, about a teaspoon or so, the potatoes with the vinaigrette.
  2. While you are waiting for the water to boil start the vinaigrette.
Make the vinaigrette
  1. Peel the garlic clove and slice in half lengthwise. Remove the green germ, then smash the clove with the side of your knife. Add the vinegar, minced shallots, smashed garlic, mustard, salt, and minced herbs to a small bowl and whisk together until the salt is dissolved. Continue to whisk the dressing and slowly pour the olive oil in a steady stream. Whisk the vinaigrette until it is well combined. Let rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
  2. You will have more vinaigrette then you need. See notes on how to store the vinaigrette for later use.
Make the Salad
  1. Blanch the prepared asparagus or green beans in salted boiling water. Boil the asparagus for 2 minutes, or if using the green beans for one minute. Drain the water from the vegetable and rinse with cold water. Set on a clean kitchen towel or back in the sauce pan, (off heat) to dry.
  2. Just before the potatoes are finished cooking tear the lettuce into large bite size pieces and add to a bowl. Toss the lettuce with one tablespoon of the vinaigrette until evenly coated. This is just a light coating to season the lettuce. Set aside.
  3. Place the sea scallops on a plate and carefully remove the muscle from its side. This is very tough when cooked. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel on both sides. Season the scallops with a pinch of Kosher salt on both sides.
  4. Heat a heavy duty 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil and swirl it to evenly coat the pan. When the pan is hot, but not smoking, add the sea scallops to the pan flat side down. Sear the scallops for 2 minutes without touching or moving them. Adjust the heat if the pan is getting too hot. Turn the scallops over and sear for 2 minutes until the scallops are done. Depending on the size of your scallops will determine how long they need to cook. They are done when the center is opaque in the middle, and feel firm when pressed with your finger. When in doubt, cut a scallop down the center and check. The scallop won't go to waste, just add it to the salad. The scallops will continue to cook from the residual heat, but you want to remove them when they are just done.

Plate the salad
  1. On each plate, place half of the seasoned lettuce. Arrange the seasoned potatoes, asparagus, scallops, and fruit on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle small clumps of goat cheese over the salad and fresh herbs.
  2. Remove the garlic from the vinaigrette and give it a good whisk. Pour into a spouted serving dish. Add additional dressing as needed to each salad. You will have plenty of salad dressing leftover to use for another salad.
Recipe Notes

* This is a light vinaigrette and not one to use balsamic vinegar. If you have a good quality red wine vinegar it is OK to use. I just have not found one I like, so I usually don't cook with red wine vinegar.

The vinaigrette makes about 1 cup / 250 ml so you will have plenty leftover. Store the vinaigrette in an air tight container in the refrigerator. The vinaigrette will taste better, and last longer, if you remove the shallots from the vinaigrette. Pour the vinaigrette over a fine mesh strainer into a container to catch all the shallots.
Discard the shallots and refrigerate the vinaigrette.

If you want to thoroughly emulsify the vinaigrette, it is easy to do with an immersion blender. The vinaigrette made with a blender will be thicker and heavier. I like this salad with a lighter dressing so I mix it by hand and not worry about the dressing being emulsified. It is your choice. Make the salad dressing as you prefer.