Salad Niçoise

Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup lemon juice or red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or tarragon
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad

• 2 to 3 (5-ounce) cans of ablacore in oil tuna, drained
• 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled, and halved lengthwise
• 1 1/4 pound small young red potatoes or fingerling potatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium heads up Boston or butter lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
• 3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup Niçoise, or black olives
• 2 tablespoons capers or anchovies

1) Make the vinaigrette (Can prep 1 day ahead): in a jar, add ingredients, cover with a lid and shake until well blended.
2) Place onion slices in a small bowl and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette.
3) Place whole potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Heat on high to bring to a boil. Lower heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
4) Drain potatoes and while still warm, cut into quarters. Place in a bowl and dress with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette.
5) While potatoes cook, fill a medium sized pot halfway with water and add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil on high heat, add green beans to boiling water.
6) Cook green beans until tender but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes. Drain and place in an ice bath to stop cooking.
7) Arrange a bed of lettuce on a serving platter. Mound tuna in the center of lettuce. Place the tomatoes and onions around the tuna. Arrange the potatoes and green beans in mounds at the edge of the lettuce. Arrange the eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed.
8) Drizzle everything with the remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle with capers. Serve immediately. Should be slightly warm or room temperature.

Recipe by: Simply recipes.
Photo by: Foodie Crush.