Classic Salade Niçoise

I realized I discovered a lot of things about food while I was in Paris. That's both good and bad. I love trying all different foods, but then it also adds pounds... Well, on one of my "detox" days, I went out to a cute cafe that I cannot remember the name of now. It's going to bother me until I get home to my scrapbook, which isn't until April! Ack. But I do have pictures of the inside of the restaurant.



I had a Niçoise Salad for the first time there. It was really fresh and clean. It helped that the dressing was served on the side so that the salad didn't get soggy. I think there was rice and there was definitely some tuna in there too. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the salad, but it was delicious. I re-created it once I returned home and it was one of the most filling salads I've ever had. I saw this recipe and thought I should share with you the goodness that is the Niçoise Salad.

I didn't follow the measurements exactly and rather used them as more of a guideline. But I used all the same ingredients and just eyeballed it most of the time. Toss in however much you'd like, more or less of any ingredient to match your preferences. I didn't make the dressing as I had made this last night to take for today's lunch and I didn't have the time to toss it together this morning, so if you do make the dressing, let me know how it tastes!



Classic Salade Niçoise
From David Lebovitz

- 2 large, ripe tomatoes
- Salt
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
- 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced
- 2 spring onions, or 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup peeled fava beans [I had leftover chickpeas so used that instead]
- 1/3 cup black olives, preferably Niçoise olives, pitted or unpitted
- 1/2 head of lettuce, torn or shredded
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or French vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 anchovy filets, cut into thin strips lengthwise, or a 6-oz can tuna

1. Rub the clove of garlic all over the insides of a wooden salad bowl.
2. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and put them in a colander. Sprinkle them with salt, and let them drain for a few minutes while you finish the salad.
3. Add the cucumber, onions, fava beans, olives, and lettuce to the bowl.
4. Peel and cut the eggs into wedges.
5. Mix the olive oil with the herbs and a bit of salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes to the bowl and toss most of the dressing with the salad, reserving a bit to drizzle over the eggs. (If using tuna, toss that with the salad as well.) Season with additional salt, if necessary.
6. Place the eggs on top of the salad and drape the anchovy strips over the eggs. Pour the remaining dressing over the eggs.