Speedy salad:

By Carol Mighton Haddix of The Chicago Tribune - 09/02/2008

MCT photo The classic salad of summer, nicoise, gets a makeover that includes sugar snap peas and orzo.

Nicoise salad, that hearty French classic, makes the perfect entree. But because of its multiple ingredients, it takes time to put together — too much time for a speedy weeknight meal. So, we've simplified the recipe. Our revamp substitutes quicker cooking ingredients, but still keeps the essence of the dish.

Tuna is still the protein of choice, but we've dropped the hard-cooked eggs. Instead of green beans, we used sugar snap peas. And in place of potatoes, we added quicker cooking orzo. A lemony dressing tops it all.

NEW NICOISE WITH LEMON DRESSING Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 12 minutes Yield: 4 servings 12 grape tomatoes, quartered ½ teaspoon salt 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice Freshly ground pepper 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¾ pound sugar snap peas ½ cup orzo 1 bag (12 ounces) baby lettuces 20 Nicoise olives 1 package (8 ounces) albacore tuna, drained, flaked 1 cucumber, halved, sliced 6 leaves fresh basil, cut in fine shreds Heat a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, place tomatoes on a plate; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Set aside. Whisk garlic, lemon juice and remaining ¼ teaspoon of the salt together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in 6 tablespoons of the olive oil until smooth. Set aside.

Add sugar snap peas to the boiling water; return to a boil. Cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

Reheat the water to a boil; add orzo. Cook until just tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water until cooled. Drain. Toss with remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium bowl.

Divide lettuce among 4 large plates. Arrange the tuna in the center; add tomatoes, sugar snap peas, orzo, olives, tuna and cucumber around the edges of the lettuce. Drizzle each serving with some of the dressing. Sprinkle each with basil.

Nutrition information per serving: 452 calories, 55 percent of calories from fat, 28 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrates, 20 g protein, 892 mg sodium, 5 g fiber