Purslane, Mint, and Lettuce Salad with Spicy Yogurt Dressing
A common weed in many a gardener's backyard bed, wild purslane is perfectly edible—even delicious, in fact. Its juicy little leaves have a citrusy, sometimes peppery zip. Cultivated golden purslane is much milder than the tangy wild weed; you can use wild here instead of golden, but you may want to cut back a little on the garlic, mint, and chile so they don't overwhelm the purslane.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Put purslane, butter lettuce, frisée, cucumber, and mint in a large serving bowl.
Step 2
2
Sprinkle garlic with salt, then mash into a paste with the flat side of a chef's knife. Scrape paste into a bowl and whisk with oil, yogurt, and chile flakes.
Step 3
3
Pour dressing over greens and toss gently but thoroughly.
Step 4
4
* Peppermint is much stronger than the common grocery-store spearmint, with darker, more elongated leaves and purplish stems. Find it at well-stocked grocery stores (or grow your own).
Ingredients
4 cups purslane leaves and tender stems
4 cups loosely packed butter lettuce leaves
1 cup torn frisee
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced Persian or seedless cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped peppermint* or 3 tbsp. spearmint
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 to 1 tsp. aleppo or red chile flakes