Perfect farm to table meal! Named after the city of Nice, this wonderful classic salad is a specialty of the French province of Cote D’Azur. Salad Nicoise (nee-swaaz) is made with a variety of vegetables and is traditionally topped with tuna or other fresh fish. Like many dishes it is easily adaptable to being vegetarian, or vegan, if you desire. In my version here I just replaced the tuna with a delicious mix of white beans and feta cheese. You almost don’t need a recipe for this one!
Ingredients / Serves 4-6
1 head of romaine or red leaf lettuce
1 pound red, yellow, or purple potatoes, small size are ideal
1/4 pound or 2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cucumber, sliced
1(15 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs, hard boiled
1 handful of olives of choice
1 red onion, medium, sliced
1 lemon sliced
Dressing
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper
Handful of fresh herbs (optional)
Directions/Method
Step 1) Make dressing by hand or in processor and set aside
Step 2) Wash, drain, and prep all vegetables
Step 3) Par boil washed potatoes until just tender, drain under cold water and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4) Blanch green beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 5) Using a large serving platter, a large shallow dish, or individual bowls layer, the vegetables starting with a bed of lettuce. There is no right or wrong way to do this and the part I find most fun and creative. You get to decide the presentation!
Notes: I like to pour a little dressing on the potatoes and green beans after cooking while they are still warm to let them marinate some before placing in salad. Of course you can always wait and add dressing just before serving.
