Salade Nicoise

Here’s a classic salad from the south of France which you can rustle up with a tin of tuna, some eggs and various salad ingredients. It’s surprisingly versatile. Today I added some sliced radishes and celery and omitted a few of the other ingredients as I didn’t have them to hand. It really cheered me up in the midst of all this grim Coronavirus news, especially as many of the salad ingredients are from my local Community Veggie Garden. It’s great with crusty bread.

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About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

Here’s a classic salad from the south of France which you can rustle up with a tin of tuna, some eggs and various salad ingredients. It’s surprisingly versatile. Today I added some sliced radishes and celery and omitted a few of the other ingredients as I didn’t have them to hand. It really cheered me up in the midst of all this grim Coronavirus news, especially as many of the salad ingredients are from my local Community Veggie Garden. It’s great with crusty bread.

Ingredients

  • tinned tuna in oil 200g, drained
  • small head of lettuce (such as Cos or curly endive) 1, washed and dried
  • ripe tomatoes 3, quartered
  • baby green beans 150g, blanched
  • boiled eggs 2, peeled and quartered
  • small potatoes (such as Desiree or new) 4, boiled and cut into chunks
  • red onion 1 small, finely sliced
  • small black olives (preferably nicoise) 20
  • anchovies 4-6, split lengthways
  • freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley optional
Vinaigrette
  • extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons
  • red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon
  • Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons
  • garlic 1 clove, crushed
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put all the salad ingredients into a salad bowl or onto a serving platter. Combine gently, being careful not to break up the eggs. Make the vinaigrette by whisking allthe ingredients together. You can also shake them together in a screwtop jar. Taste for seasoning. Drizzle lightly over the salad just before serving. Mix gently to combine. Best served at room temperature. Tip: the anchovies will lose some of their saltiness if you soak them in milk for ten minutes. Rinse and dry on paper towels before proceeding.