Vegan Niçoise Style Salad Food

VEGAN NIçOISE-STYLE SALAD

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette:
• Combine all ingredients in a tightly lidded bottle and shake thoroughly. Shake well before each use.
• For the salad:
• Steam the green beans just until bright green and tender-crisp. Err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking. Drain and rinse with cool water until they're at room temperature.
• On a large serving platter or large shallow serving bowl, arrange the lettuce or greens. Scatter the basil or parsley over it. Arrange the green beans, tofu, tomatoes, beans, olives, and artichoke hearts, if desired, in separate mounds over the lettuce or greens. Top everything with a few thinly sliced rings of red onion if you like.
• Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the salad, then serve at once, passing the remainder of the vinaigrette at the table.

CLASSIC NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl; drizzle with the wine and let cool. Reserve the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with salted ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water to cool; drain and pat dry.
• Place the eggs in the reserved saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and let stand, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel under cold running water.
• Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.
• Toss the tomatoes ian a small bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 1/4 cup dressing to the potatoes and toss. Quarter the hard-cooked eggs.
• Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Arrange the potatoes, haricots verts, radishes, hard-cooked eggs and tuna on top. Pour any juices from the tomatoes into the dressing, then add the tomatoes to the plates. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the olives.

SALADE NIçOISE

Steps:

• Potatoes: Fill a small saucepan with water. Add potatoes, thyme sprig, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Haricots vert: Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, add a big pinch of salt, followed by haricots verts. Cook until tender with a slight snap, 4-9 minutes depending on size. Eggs: Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, use a spoon to gently ease eggs into the water. Cook exactly 7½ minutes. Meanwhile, prepare two ice baths: Fill two large bowls with water and plenty of ice.
• Scallions: Trim away the very end of the root while keeping scallion intact; remove the thick outer layer. Cut away the dark green top, leaving a 3-inch length of white and light-green scallion. Make several 1-inch vertical cuts down the top to create a scallion "brush." Repeat with all the scallions and place them in an ice bath to preserve freshness. Radishes: Slice each radish lengthwise into thin slices. Set aside.
• When beans are mostly tender with a touch of firmness, use a strainer to transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove eggs and place them into the same ice bath. Check potatoes for doneness by piercing one with a knife; there should be no resistance. Remove potatoes and set aside; discard thyme and bay leaf. Peel eggs, slice in half lengthwise, and set aside.
• Assembly: On a serving platter, layer the Boston lettuce, followed by the baby gem. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and distribute evenly, followed by haricots verts, scallions, whole tomatoes, radish, large chunks of tuna, and eggs. Garnish with leaves of basil and chervil.
• Pit olives (optional): Place olives on a flat surface. Press the bottom of a small bowl on the olives to loosen their pits; remove and discard the pits. Scatter the pitted olives over the salad. Next, tuck small bunches of arugula within the lettuce. Finally, finish assembling the salad by laying about 10 anchovies evenly across the top.
• Chef Boulud offers two options for dressing the salad. Lemon & Oil Dressing: Zest lemon evenly over the salad, then sprinkle with lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil, and finish with pepper and salt. (Note: Use salt with moderation, since the tuna and anchovies are already salted.) Grand-Mère's Vinaigrette: In a bowl, add the sliced garlic and a pinch of salt. Use a fork to mash the garlic into a coarse paste. Add mustard, vinegar, and pepper; stir to combine. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly with the fork to emulsify. Add a teaspoon of water at a time, whisking between additions, to thin vinaigrette as desired. Place vinaigrette into a serving dish and serve alongside the salad.

VEGETARIAN SALADE NIçOISE

Steps:

• For the dressing: In a mixing bowl, combine Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Whisk to blend, add 1/4 cup water, and whisk again. Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
• For the salad: In a medium saucepan, combine potatoes, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme and one tablespoon of the sea salt. Cover with cold water. Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand in saucepan; do not drain.
• While the potatoes are simmering, place the eggs and two tablespoons salt in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand in saucepan; do not drain.
• In a mixing bowl, combine 3 cups water and 1 cup ice cubes; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine 3 cups of water and 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, add green beans, and blanch until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and transfer to ice water. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then drain.
• Cut the tomatoes into 12 irregular chunks, and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt. Drain and peel the eggs, and cut each egg lengthwise into quarters. Drain the potatoes, and cut into 1/3-inch rounds.
• In a wide, shallow serving bowl, mix romaine, arugula and baby greens. Add 3 tablespoons of the dressing to the greens and toss, adding additional dressing as needed. Arrange the tomatoes, eggs, potatoes and green beans around the greens, and sprinkle with olives. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing. Refrigerate leftover dressing and reserve for another use.