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  • ร—
    Home ยป Greens

    Vegan Salade Nicoise

    Published: Aug 4, 2019 ยท Modified: May 28, 2020 by Louise-Claire Cayzer ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท This blog generates income via ads ยท 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    I hesitated about what to call this Vegan Salade Nicoise, because it deviates rather a lotย  from the original French version, & you know how people can be about whether something is 'the best or original' version or not. (imagine me rolling my eyes here!)

    But then I thought- y'know, recipes change according to who makes them, the ingredients available & personal taste. So although this isn't an authentic recipe, it is still a banging salad that is just perfect to eat on the terrace or seated by the (paddling) pool on a sticky summer's evening.

     

    Vegan Salade Nicoise on plates this recipe

    Even better, is this yummy vegan salad doesn't mind being made ahead of time, in fact a few hours with the ingredients getting to know each other, is definitely a good thing. Which makes it perfect for taking on a picnic, or rather more prosaically,ย  taking for a work lunch in the hope that you might be able to escape outside & sit in the park to eat. It also makes a great accompaniment to a BBQ or cookout- the tangy dressing a perfect foil for burgers and grilled things (veggies in our case!)

    Vegan Salade Nicoise Dressing

    I know this is a non-French (and very vegan) version of a French classic, but I will bossily tell you the things that simply must be included to make this Vegan Salade Nicoiseย  truly great.

    • Olives- Preferably Black. They provide the extra salty tang (and are very traditional.) Green olives will also do. But don't omit the olives!
    • Really Really REALLY good tomatoes - get some of those cherry flavour bombs from the market. Or grow your own!
    • Lots of capers & a hit of garlic in the dressing.
    • Lemon juice & caper pickling juice - again in the dressing.
    • Crunchy fresh french beans. (You could also use sugar snap peas. The point is the green crunch)

    Vegan Salade Nicoise close up

    There are a few ingredients that I added in to variations on this salad. I've eaten it about 10 times over the last 2 weeks (for research. obvs.)

    • Crunchy lettuce is good- I like Little Gem or Romaine as they give extra bite & hold onto the dressing.
    • Fluffy tofu puffs you can get at Chinese supermarkets. I added some in one batch of the salad because they needed using up. Oh BOY! They soak up the dressing and are SO yummy!
    • Herbs: Some parsley or chives are definitely a good addition if you have some.

    ๐Ÿ“– Recipe

    Vegan Salade Nicoise on a plate with lots of herbs

    Vegan Salade Nicoise

    Louise-Claire Cayzer
    A super easy and summery vegan salad inspired by the classic Salade Nicoise.
    No ratings yet
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    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course BBQ, Dinner, lunch, picnic, Salad
    Cuisine French, Vegan
    Servings 4

    Ingredients Note:

    For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.

    (Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)

    Ingredients

    For the Salad

    • 500g whole baby or salad potatoes
    • 200g fresh green french beans
    • 200g very good quality tomatoes (either cherry or larger. The important thing is they taste of tomato!)
    • 50-80g good quality black olives (or green olives. You want the juicy real ones from the deli, not the ones from a tin!)
    • handful herbs: chives or parsley are nice (finely chopped. )

    For the Dressing

    • 2 tablespoon capers (roughly chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon caper brine (the 'juice' that the capers come in)
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • Juice ยฝ lemon
    • 2 tablespoon Dijion Mustard
    • 2 teaspoon agave, coconut or maple syrup (you can use sugar too- just need to make sure it dissolves properly)

    Instructions

    For the Salad

    • Boil the baby potatoes until just tender.
    • Top & Tail the beans, removing any strings. Add them to the boiling potatoes & cook for around 2 minutes.
    • Remove the beans & potatoes from their boiling water & refresh in cold water to stop them cooking. I like to put the beans in some iced water so they retain their snap.
    • Chop the tomatoes & olives,
    • Arrange everything on a plate, drizzle over the dressing & sprinkle over the herbs.

    For the Dressing.

    • In a cup, mug or jam jar mix together all the ingredients until they are combined. Taste & adjust (add more oil, a touch more mustard- to your own taste!)
    • This recipe makes enough to dress 2 or 3 salads. Simply keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.

    Notes

    This recipe is delicious with extra capers added.ย 
    You can also add in crunchy leaves (romaine or little gem are good)ย 
    I sometimes add in tofu puffs (they soak up the dressing!) for a more substantial salad. Or you could add cubes of smoked tofu too.ย 
    This salad keeps well so makes it perfect for picnics or to take for a working day lunch.ย 
    Tried this recipe and loved it? Follow and Mention @vegan_larder or comment and โญ below

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    1. Colleen Whalen says

      August 04, 2019 at 5:54 pm

      It isn't Salad Nicoise without TUNA. Of course as vegans - tuna is a "no-no". To really make this salad authentic - use JACKFRUIT as a tuna substitute. Adding jackfruit giv es the salad more body and "oopmh".

      Reply
      • Louise-Claire Cayzer says

        August 04, 2019 at 6:59 pm

        Thank you for your feedback on my recipe.
        Salad Nicoise traditionally has tuna OR anchovies (and sometimes eggs).
        I'm not a huge fan of jackfruit unless it's very well flavoured with a marinade or similar, so instead I chose to substitute the anchovies with capers as I prefer the tang and saltiness.
        However if you choose to add in jackfruit, by all means you should do so. That's the great thing about a recipe that's been 'inspired' by another recipe. It can be changed to your personal taste!

        Reply

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    Hi! I'm Louise-Claire! I believe vegan and plant-based food should be easy to make, never scary and above all, absolutely delicious. Also, it's for everyone, not just for vegans!

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