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Vegan nicoise salad with tofu, in a white bowl.

Vegan Nicoise Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Alexandra Shytsman
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: French
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Nicoise salad is summer in France, in a bowl.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Salad

  • One 14-ounce block extra firm tofu
  • 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, cleaned thoroughly* (see note below)
  • 12 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • Fine sea salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • About 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, like avocado or refined coconut
  • 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large roasted red peppers from a jar, drained well and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

For the Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons mild vinegar, like apple cider, wine, or champagne
  • 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

  1. Press tofu. Use a tofu press or: 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Add 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.
  4. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Set aside until they stop steaming.
  5. Meanwhile, cook tofu. While the veg are happening, cook 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Transfer tofu to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, slice crosswise.
  8. Make dressing. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, and lots of pepper. Then stir in the capers and shallots.
  9. Serve salad. To serve, divide the potatoes, green beans, tofu, tomatoes, olives, and peppers among bowls, then drizzle with the dressing. Alternately, arrange everything on a large platter and serve family-style.

Notes

  • 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