Salad Niçoise
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Even in the winter we sometimes crave a big salad for dinner, and the French know what they are doing! This is a spin on a traditional delicious recipe with some yummy additions, but you can make it your way by omitting or adding ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge and pantry. The star of this dish is, naturally, McEvoy Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You can only make an amazing salad dressing with an amazing olive oil!
It’s a great idea to make double the salad dressing portion of this recipe so you keep can some handy to enhance dishes all week long -- drizzle on sandwiches, or even pour over fresh ripe pears for a sweet and savory treat. Use your creativity and imagination!
Tina Mills
Ingredients
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes
- 10 ounces haricots verts or thin green beans, ends trimmed
- 1 5 1/2-ounce can (or glass jar) of tuna packed in olive oil, drained. Buy the best you can afford, and do not even think about using tuna in water!
- 1 tin Sardines (optional)
- anchovies (optional)
- 10 cherry tomatoes (purchased on the vine preferably, served whole or cut in half)
- 1 head red leaf or butter lettuce (leaves separated and torn into bite sized pieces)
- 1/2 cup niçoise olives (pits removed)
- 2 T capers (optional)
- 3/4 cup McEvoy Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice from 1/2 squeezed fresh lemon
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 T sherry vinegar (optional)
- 1/2 large shallot (minced)
- 3 T Dijon mustard
- 1 T chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (do not add more as the fish is already salty)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced or crushed)
- Freshly ground pepper to taste (I like a lot)
Salad Dressing Ingredients
Directions
- Start by making the hard-boiled eggs by placing them in a saucepan. Cover them with cold water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let them stand for 12 minutes. Move them into a bowl filled with cold water and ice-cubes and let them sit for at least 15 minutes so they are easy to peel, then cut them in half to serve.
- Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover, and either boil or steam them. Test for doneness with a knife tip by seeing if it can pierce all the way through one easily (approx. 7 minutes). Drain dry.
- Place your beans in a bowl with 3 Tablespoons of water and cover with a paper towel. Cook in the microwave for 4 minutes (you can steam on the stove if you prefer, but don’t overcook).
- Open the can or jar of tuna (and anchovies and sardines if you like).
- Wash and cut your cherry tomatoes or leave them whole.
- Wash and dry your lettuce leaves and tear them into bite size pieces.
- Make the salad dressing by whisking all the ingredients together (slowly adding the oil at the end in a stream will help it emulsify).
- Compose your salad on a large platter starting with a layer at the bottom of your lettuce. Then arrange all of the other ingredients into sections (refer to the photo).
- Pour the dressing over everything and enjoy!
