- ½ red onion, sliced into slim half-moons
- ½ cup (4 oz., 110 g) white wine vinegar
- ½ cup (4 oz., 110 g) nonchlorinated water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pickling spice, homemade or store-bought
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces (225 g) green beans
- 3 cups cooked grains (rice, quinoa, farro, couscous, or any combination of whole grains), warm or at room temperature
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 half-pint jar pressure-canned salmon or tuna, drained
- ½ cup (4 oz., 235 ml) olive oil
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Place the onion slices in a small glass or ceramic bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, salt, pickling spice, and red pepper to a simmer. Pour the brine over the onion slices and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Trim the beans, leaving the little tails but removing the stem ends. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil Add the green beans and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain.
- Fluff up the cooked grains on a beautiful platter. Scatter the green beans over the grains. Drain the pickled onions, reserving the brine. Sprinkle half the pickled onions over the salad. (Save the other half for tacos, sandwiches, omelets—oh, just about anything.) Top the salad with the radishes and fish.
- Whisk together ¼ cup of the reserved pickling brine and the olive oil (or shake in a covered jar) until emulsified. Taste and season with salt, if necessary, and pepper.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing, add the mayonnaise, if using, and serve.