With summer produce at maximum bounty I’ve been doing my best to enjoy as much of it as possible at each meal. Since school and travel have kept me short on time and with little need for leftovers simplicity reins supreme. Keeping those parameters in mind nothing has made me happier of late than my colorful adaptation of Nicoise Salad.
This plethora of bright, crunchy produce, includes blanched green beans, cooked new potatoes, sweet cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and paper thin slices of red onion. Canned Albacore tuna (a very recent and happy revelation for me, a former tuna hater) the salad is ready to be dressed. A simple mix of fresh tarragon, shallots, herbs de Provence, vinegar, lemon juice and oil finishes things off nicely. Add a loaf of warm French baguette with butter and a glass of chilled white wine and call it a night.
Nicoise Salad
Serves 2
Dressing
1 tsp. fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 small shallot, diced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. Herbs de Provence
Juice from half of a lemon
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place first six ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Slowly pour in olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Add salt & pepper to taste and set aside.
Salad
4 medium new potatoes
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, ends snapped off
1/2 of a small red onion, sliced paper thin
1/2 of a medium cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds and cut into half moons
12 cherry tomatoes
1 can of albacore tuna packed in water
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and continue boiling until the potatoes just start to turn tender (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and place in the sink. Add green beans and cook for another 7-10 minutes until green beans are just crisp tender. When green beans are cooked, pull them out of the pot with tongs and place them in the ice water to shock them. Then drain the potatoes. When cool enough to handle slice the potatoes in quarters.
Arrange all of the vegetables and tuna on two plates (or one large platter). Spoon dressing over the top and enjoy immediately. If planning to save leftovers, reserve the dressing seperate from the vegetables and add the dressing just before serving.
Love a crisp nicoise…feels healthy and yet kinda decadent at the same time!
Love a crisp nicoise…feels healthy and yet kinda decadent at the same time!
Yum. Love this twist on nicoise. Everytime I think about it it makes me sad that the first time I ever ate it (in France in high school) I didn't really appreciate it.Hope school and work are going well. Would love to meetup again sometime.
Yum. Love this twist on nicoise. Everytime I think about it it makes me sad that the first time I ever ate it (in France in high school) I didn't really appreciate it.Hope school and work are going well. Would love to meetup again sometime.