PINK MACARONI, BEAN AND BROCCOLI SALAD
with beets, sweet onion and sweet red peppers in a sweet and sour raspberry vinaigrette!
Makes 11 cups
8 oz. package elbow macaroni, cooked in salted boiling water according to package instructions, then rinsed under cold water till cooled; drain well and set aside till ready to use; do not overcook
16 oz. bottle Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
2/3 c. seedless raspberry jam
1/2 c. white vinegar
2 t. onion powder
2 t. turmeric
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground allspice
4 c. fresh broccoli buds
15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed well and drained
15 oz. can garbonzo beans, rinsed well and drained
14 oz. can whole beets, drained and quartered
1 lg. sweet onion, peeled and quartered from tip to tip, then cut each quarter crosswise into very thin quarter rings
1 lg. fresh red sweet pepper, cored and diced into 3/8 inch squares
1/2-1 t. additional salt
freshly ground black pepper
Prepare macaroni and set aside.
In very large bowl combine bottled dressing, raspberry jam, vinegar, onion powder, turmeric, salt and allspice. Stir briskly with wire whisk till jam completely dissolves into dressing.
Add broccoli buds to dressing, stirring to completely coat. This takes a couple of minutes. Add remaining ingredients, including chilled macaroni, and toss very gently till all ingredients are coated with the dressing.
Place pasta salad in a storage container (large and flat works best) with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Invert the airtight pasta container every hour to allow the vegetables to marinate properly.
Notes: Please don’t overcook the pasta.
Great color, texture and flavor achievements! And healthy for you too!
Although the turmeric gets lost in the dressing, its health benefits don’t. Two teaspoons is not too much.
*Because this salad contains broccoli, which takes time to marinate, the ‘serving immediately’ rule doesn’t apply, as it does with other pasta salads.
