Maine lobster salad with avocado, pesto and tomato vinaigrette
 
Prep time
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This Maine lobster salad combines fresh tomatoes, arugula and avocado topped with fresh lobster, pesto mayonnaise and tomato vinaigrette.
Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2 servings
Ingredients
Tomato Vinaigrette
  • 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
  • ¼ medium onion, diced
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped, plus ¼ cup diced
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. sherry vinegar
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pesto Mayonnaise
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 3 cups fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
  • 1 avocado, cut into ½ inch dice
  • 2 large tomatoes, cut into ½ inch dice, or a mix of grape and cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 2 lobsters, cooked and cooled, meat removed from the shells
  • 1 cup baby arugula leaves
Instructions
  1. To make the tomato vinaigrette
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped and diced tomatoes, thyme and sugar. Stir, cover and cook until tomatoes begin to soften. Remove from heat, discard stem from thyme sprig, and transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Process until well blended.
  3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids. Add the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. This can be made a day or two ahead.
  4. To make the pesto mayonnaise
  5. Place the egg in a small saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil . Turn off the heat; cover and let stand for 2 minutes.
  6. Scoop out the egg into a blender. Add the mustard and red wine vinegar. With the motor running, slowly add the canola oil in a thin stream. Blend until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
  7. Put the basil, cheese and garlic into the blender (you don't have to clean it in between). With the motor running, add ¼ cup of olive oil in a thin stream. Blend until thick and smooth.
  8. Scrape the pesto into the bowl with the egg mixture and stir to combine. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator and stir well about 15 minutes before using.
  9. Make the salad
  10. In a bowl, toss the avocados, tomatoes and onion with some of the tomato vinaigrette. Arrange the salad on 2 dinner plates. Top with some of the arugula. Arrange the lobster on top of the arugula. Spoon more of the tomato vinaigrette around the salad and the use a small spoon to drop pesto around the outside.
Recipe by white plate blank slate at https://whiteplateblankslate.com/maine-lobster-salad/