Salade Niçoise

Salade Nicoise

Serves: 2 people | Total Time: 1 hour

This wonderful blend of flavors is a take on a classic salad from Nice, France. The dressing is so good I would put it on anything. I made mine with chopped carrot tops and celery leaves to help make use of food scraps. If you make nothing else, try this dressing!

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
  • 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh herbs mixture (choose any: basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano, carrot tops, and/or celery leaves)
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

  • 1 can high-quality tuna, drained
  • 2 eggs for boiling
  • ¼ pound potatoes, boiled
  • A bag of salad mix or a head of lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tomato, cored and cut into wedges
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • A handful of green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • About 10 kalamata olives
  • 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
  • 1 or 2 red radishes or salad turnips, thinly sliced and cut into half moons

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl or measuring cup add lemon juice, oil, shallots, herbs, and mustard. Whisk until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. In a small bowl, dress the onion with about 1 tablespoon of the dressing. This will help tame the bite of the onion.
  4. Place the eggs in a pot covered in about one inch of water. Bring to a light boil then continue cooking for about 6-8 minutes, until the yolk is cooked. Rinse under cold water or in an ice bath. Peel, then quarter lengthwise.
  5. Place the green beans in a pot and cover with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until they are bright green and tender. Drain and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking process.
  6. When the potatoes are finished cooking, drain them and cut them into bite-sized pieces approximately 1 inch. Add them to a bowl and toss with approximately 1 tablespoon of dressing.
  7. Arrange the salad in a large bowl or serving platter. Mound the canned tuna in the center, and arrange the eggs, potatoes, tomato, red onion, green beans, olives, and radish or turnip around the bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with capers, drizzle with the dressing, and enjoy.