California Nicoise Salad
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Ingredients
  • For the dressing:
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
  • ⅓ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces haricot verts (thin French green beans) or string beans, trimmed
  • 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
  • 4-6 hard-boiled large eggs,**peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 1-2 cans high-quality tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, drained and broken into pieces
  • 1 large avocado, cubed***
  • ½ cup olives, preferably Niçoise
  • ¾ pound cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • Bibb lettuce leaves to line platter, if desired, or shredded as a bed for the lettuce
Instructions
  1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl or shake in a screw-top jar.
  2. Prepare a bowl of ice water for the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add kosher salt. Add the beans and set a timer for 3 minutes. After beans have cooked for 3 minutes, test for tenderness. They should be crisp-tender, but not taste raw. Drain and immediately submerge in the ice water bath. Drain after 5 minutes or so and pat dry. Can be done the day before and refrigerated.
  3. Assemble the salad by arranging ingredients in separate groups. I like to line the platter with lettuce either just under the tuna or the entire platter. Drizzle everything with dressing or leave on the side for each person to dress his/her own salad.
Notes
*Ingredient amounts can vary based on preferences.
**Place uncooked eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off heat and time for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water or transfer to a bowl of cold water. Can be done a day ahead and peeled before serving.
***the avocado is in place of the traditional boiled, small new potatoes. But use 1 pound of potatoes if you prefer.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/california-nicoise-salad-recipe/