Summer Herb Salad with Soft Boiled Eggs

This summery salad is made with a mixture of punchy herbs and creamy components like feta, walnuts, and soft boiled eggs. Great as a light entree salad, or served as a side to an even heartier dish like Baked Rice with Golden Crust.

Summer Herb Salad with Soft Boiled Eggs (Salad-e tabestani)

Serves 4 or 6 as a side dish

4 eggs
1 lemon
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1 small red onion, finely sliced into 1-inch slices
1 yellow bell pepper, finely slices into 1-inch slices
Inner portion of celery head, light green stalks and leaves, chopped into ¾-1 inch pieces
1 handful each of flat leaf parsley, mint, and cilantro (coriander) roughly chopped
1 chili, finely chopped (optionally seeds removed)
4 oz feta, crumbled
⅓ cup (1 ¾ oz/ 50g) walnuts, toasted and chopped
Olive oil for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Soft boil the eggs by adding them to a pot of boiling water and cooking for 6 minutes, then removing with a strainer and chilling in a bowl of ice water until ready to use. (If you prefer hard-boiled, add the eggs with the cold water, bring the water to a boil with the eggs, once boiling turn off the heat and cover with a lid for 8 minutes, then remove and place in ice water until ready to use). 

2. Supreme the lemon by paring the skin off and removing each segment (you may chop the segments or keep them whole if you like a kick of sour!). Add the lemon pieces to a large salad bowl with the pomegranate molasses. Then add the onion, bell pepper, celery, herbs, and chili. Mix everything together, and drizzle with some olive oil. Then top with crumbled feta and toasted walnuts. 

3. Peel the boiled eggs gently being careful not to break the yolks. Then either slice in half or break in half gently and place on top of the salad to serve. 

Adapted from Pardiz by Manuela Darling-Gansser