Salade Nicoise
Ready In: 40 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1⁄2 cup lemon juice (from 2 or 3 lemons)
- 3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leave
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- table salt & fresh ground pepper
Salad
- 4 large eggs
- 10 small red potatoes (each about 2 inches in diameter, about 1 1/4 pounds total, each potato scrubbed and quartered)
- table salt & fresh ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons dry vermouth
- 2 heads boston lettuce (about 8 cups loosely packed) or 2 heads bibb lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces (about 8 cups loosely packed)
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna in olive oil, drained
- 3 small vine-ripened tomatoes (about 14 ounces, each cored and cut into eighths)
- 1 small red onion (about 4 ounces, sliced very thin)
- 8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise
- 1⁄4 cup nicoise olive
- 10 -12 anchovy fillets (optional)
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)
Directions
- For the vinaigrette:.
- Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
- For the salad:
- Place eggs in small saucepan, cover by 1 inch with cold water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill medium bowl with 1 quart water and 2 cups ice cubes. With slotted spoon, transfer eggs to ice water; let stand 5 minutes. Peel eggs and quarter lengthwise; set aside (reserve ice water).
- Meanwhile, bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in large Dutch oven or stockpot over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender when poked with paring knife, 5 to 8 minutes.
- With slotted spoon, gently transfer potatoes to medium bowl (do not discard boiling water).
- Toss warm potatoes with vermouth and salt and pepper to taste; let stand 1 minute.
- Toss in 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.
- While potatoes cook, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated.
- Arrange bed of lettuce on very large, flat serving platter.
- Place tuna in now-empty bowl and break up with fork.
- Add 1/2 cup vinaigrette and stir to combine; mound tuna in center of lettuce.
- Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in now-empty bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture in mound at edge of lettuce bed.
- Arrange reserved potatoes in separate mound at edge of lettuce bed.
- Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well on triple layer of paper towels.
- Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in now-empty bowl; arrange in separate mound at edge of lettuce bed.
- Arrange reserved eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in separate mounds at edge of lettuce bed.
- Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using).
- Serve immediately.
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