Green Olive, Walnut and Pomegranate Salad

Craveably tangy and fresh, this gorgeous salad was adapted from Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean. Roden explains in her headnote that it’s a specialty of Gaziantep, a Turkish city on the border with Syria. She calls for “good quality” green olives; we used Castelvetranos; Cerignolas would also work beautifully. If you don’t happen to have piment d’Espelette, use Aleppo pepper or red chile flakes.

READ: “Cookbooks We Love: ‘Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean’ is one of the revered author’s greatest volumes”

Serves 4.

Ingredients

Generous 1/2 cup / 100 grams pitted green olives (such as Castelvetranos)

1/2 cup / 50 grams walnuts

3 scallions, chopped (white and green parts)

1 bunch Italian parsley (about 4 ounces / 113 g), leaves roughly chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

3/8 teaspooon salt

Piment d’Espelette, to taste

3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Instructions

1. Coarsely chop the olives and walnuts, place in a serving dish and mix with the scallions and parsley.

2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses with the salt and piment d’Espelette. Pour the dressing over the olives and walnuts, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds before serving.