Green Bean Nicoise Salad
Taking the classic components of a this traditional French salad to make this vegan friendly Green Bean Nicoise Salad.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans
- 1 lb baby potatoes
- 1 bunch radish
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup nicoise olives optional
- large bowl of ice water (to blanch the green beans)
Herby Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon or whole grain mustard
- 1 tsp agave or honey (apple honey for vegan)
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Cut the radish in halves, trimming any extraneous leaves & stems. Place the radish on a baking tray and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- While the radish roasts, prepare the potatoes. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes, cover & cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender when pierced. Remove from heat & drain the water. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes until they are able to be handled. Slice about half of the potatoes in half, leaving some of the smaller ones whole. Set aside.
- Time to multi-task. While the potatoes & radish cook, grab another pot filled with water & bring to a boil. Trim the stem tip off the green beans. Add the green beans to the boiling water & cook for 5-7 minutes. While the green beans cook grab a large bowl & fill it with ice water. Once the green beans have cooked, remove from the boiling water & place them in the ice bath. This will prevent them from continuing to cook, leaving the crisp & bright green. Set aside.
- Slice the tomatoes in half. If using olives feel free to slice into desired size.
- Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking together all the vinaigrette ingredients. Taste and add salt & pepper to your flavor preference.
- Assemble the salad by adding the radish, green beans, potatoes & tomatoes to a large bowl. Pour over half of the dressing & toss to combine. Add the remaining dressing as needed or serve along the side.
Notes
Roasted radish: Roasting the radish does add a few extra minutes of cooking time, but it does tame the peppery taste of radish a bit so that it does not overpower the other ingredients. It is up to you, serving the radish raw is just as tasty.
Dressing: Use the vinaigrette recipe as a base. Want more acidity? Increase the vinegar. Punch up the flavor, then heavily season with salt and pepper. Have some extra fresh herbs? Feel free to chop them up and add in.
Hot or cold: You can serve this recipe as soon as it is ready or you can toss the ingredients together and then chill in the refrigerator to serve as a cold vegetable salad.
Enjoy!