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Nicoise salad is summer in France, in a bowl.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad:
- One 14-ounce block extra firm tofu* (see note below)
- 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, cleaned thoroughly*
- About 12 ounces green beans, trimmed
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- About 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, like avocado, refined coconut, or organic canola
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 large roasted red peppers from a jar, drained well and sliced
- 1 cup pitted calamata olives, halved
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons mild vinegar, like apple cider, wine, or champagne (or lemon juice)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 small or 1/2 large shallot, finely diced*
Instructions
- Press tofu. Drain tofu and place on a plate, then top with another plate or cutting board and weigh it down with something heavy (like a couple of cans), to squeeze out as much water as possible. Let stand for about 15 minutes, periodically draining off the excess water. (Or use a tofu press.)
- Cook potatoes. If your potatoes are small, leave them whole; if they’re bigger, cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a pot, add enough water to cover by about 2 inches, plus a heaping teaspoon of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until they can be pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes, being careful not to overcook them.
- Cook green beans. When the potatoes are almost done, add the green beans to the pot and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, just until they’re bright green. (Don’t overcook – you don’t want them to be limp.) Using tongs, quickly transfer the beans to a colander and immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process. (Alternatively, cook the beans in a separate pot of salted boiling water.)
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Let stand until they stop steaming.
- Meanwhile, cook tofu. While the veg are happening, start the tofu. Slice the pressed block into 8 slabs and lay them in a single layer on the cutting board. Sprinkle the top-facing side with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom. Add tofu in a single layer seasoned-side down, then season the top-facing side. Cook until a golden crust forms on the bottom, about 8 minutes, then flip and brown the other side; do not flip/move the tofu unless absolutely necessary.
- Transfer tofu to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, slice crosswise.
- Make dressing. In a bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons each vinegar and oil, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and lots of pepper. Then stir in 2 tablespoons capers and the chopped shallot.
- Serve salad. To serve, divide the potatoes, green beans, tofu, tomatoes, olives, and peppers among bowls, then drizzle with dressing. Alternately, arrange everything on a large platter and serve family-style.
Notes
- If avoiding soy, replace this seared tofu with crispy chickpeas or marinated white beans.
- If all you have are regular-size potatoes, cut them into 1-inch chunks, then cook the same way as instructed.
- Don’t have shallots? Sub with finely diced red onion.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 385
- Fat: 22.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.3 g
- Fiber: 9.8 g
- Protein: 13.4 g
Keywords: vegan, nicoise, salad, french, tofu
