It’s Spring and a woman’s fancy turns to……… Salads! That is what it turns to indeed. Light and bright just like Spring. So refreshing and delicious after the heavy stews and casseroles that sustained us through the winter. Lots of healthy protein to fill us up and loads of crunchy vegetables to keep it lighter.
A Nicoise Salad is just a fancy name for what is really a simple composed salad dish. Very easy to prepare and a delight to your eyes bursting with bright colored vegetables. I switched the basic recipe up just a bit because that’s what I do. Ha! Instead of the classic Green Beans, I used the first of the season Asparagus which I believe is only appropriate for this time of year. I also used crispy, crunchy hearts of Romaine in place of the soft Boston lettuce that most recipes call for. And I just had to add Spring Onions because in my humble opinion, no green salad should be without onions. Nicoise Olives are rarer than hens teeth in my part of the world so Kalamata Olives make a wonderful substitute. If I had fresh Green Peas they would have found a place on my plate too!
I brought cans of Italian Oil packed Tuna home with me from Italy which is pretty classic in this salad but no worries if that is not available in your world or out of your budget. Use the best quality Tuna you can afford but I do suggest Oil Packed in this dish as it truly adds a unique flavor not found in water packed. Anchovies? Your call on this one, but Dan stuck his nose up until he tasted them and then was hooked! You take just a tiny bit of Anchovy on your fork with a bite of Tuna and vegetable and it adds such a pop of flavor!
Top of your Nicoise Salad with a delightful herbed Vinaigrette recipe that I provide below and you are in for a fantastic taste bud experience that yells “Hello SPRING!”
Ready? Here’s what we’ll need!
Nicoise Salad Supreme
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 medium heart of Romaine Lettuce torn into bite size peices
- 2 small -medium yellow Potatoes peeled, cooked, sliced 1/4 inch thick and chilled
- 2 large Eggs hard cooked, peeled and chilled and quartered
- 8-10 spears Asparagus trimmed, cooked until tender crisp and chilled
- 8 Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
- 4 Spring Onions Sliced
- 8-10 pitted Kalamata Olives
- 1 8 oz can Oil Packed Tuna well drained. Italian Tuna preferred ifyou can.
- 1 2 oz can Anchovy fillets
Herbed Vinaigreete
- 2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp sugar
- 1/2 Tsp dried Chervil
- 1/2 Tsp dried Tarragon
- 1/4 Tsp ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- On each of 2 dinner plates, arrange equal portions of Lettuce. Mound portions of flaked Tuna in the center of each plate. Artfully arrange the Asparagus Spears, sliced Potatoes,the quartered Hard Cooked Eggs, Cherry Tomatoes,Kalamata Olives and Spring Onions around the Tuna. Top with a couple of spiraled Anchovy Fillets and that's it.
- Combine all the Vinaigrette ingredients in a screw top jar. When you are ready to serve, give the Salad Vinaigrette a good shake and drizzle over the top. That's it! Just sit your self down and enjoy a delicious taste of Spring!
- Thanks for stopping by today on this 2nd day of April! Spring truly has sprung up here in the Back of the Beyond in the mountains of Northeast Washington State. Our long and bitterly cold winter is gasping its last breath and we are so looking forward to trees budding, green grass and Daffodils nodding their happy yellow heads.
- Wherever your Journey leads you today, I wish you the warmth of the sun on your face and the blue of a Spring Sky to make your heart sing.
- Journey ON! Hugs and much love from me, Karen, TJG
Looks delicious Karen — All your dishes look delicious and get me drooling. lol.
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for taking the time to comment! It makes me happy to hear you are “drooling!” LOL!
Hugs,
Karen, TJG
Looks so good in the picture! I will bre trying this very soon.
Thank you for commenting Margiue. Hope you enjoy it!
Hugs,
Karen, TJG