Our June  2023 salad of the month is Salad Niçoise. I chose this salad because it’s colorful, light, refreshing, and also has potatoes and tuna making it a meal instead of a side dish.

Salad Niçoise originated in the French city of Nice. It’s traditionally made with olive, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, tuna, and/or anchovies, and dressed with olive oil or a vinaigrette. There are many recipes for this dish and the proper ingredients are often hotly debated.

Traditionalists exclude cooked vegetables, but I like this version that includes boiled potatoes and cooked green beans.

Here is the link to the recipe I used, https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/recipes/salad-nicoise/

I recommend you hard-boil the eggs ahead of time and let them sit in an ice bath, so they are easier to peel.

After you gather your ingredients, start the potatoes. I used regular potatoes sliced thin and boiled.

If you add green beans they can be raw or cooked. I used frozen greens beans and cooked them long enough to defrost, but not get too soft. This recipe also includes Romaine lettuce, capers, and red onions.

Once you have the traditional ingredients in place, you can add other vegetables or cooked legumes in place of hard-boiled eggs, tuna, or anchovies if you want a Vegan option.

The dressing is simple – olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. It’s delicious – perfect with boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, and light enough not to overpower the flavors of the other vegetables.

The recipe is easy to follow, and depending on what you add or delete, it comes together fairly quickly. The plating instructions create a beautiful dish you can be proud to serve. This recipe serves four, but I cut it in half which was ideal because I was cooking for one. It refrigerates well and might just be better on the second day.

I will definitely be making this again.

Our July salad will be Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette.

The Twelve Months of Salads - 2023

January – Celery Salad with Apples

February - Strawberry Avocado Salad

March – Spring Pea, Asparagus and Mint Salad

April - Spring Salad with Edamame, Cucumbers. Snow Peas and Tofu Croutons

May – Southwestern Bean Salad

June – Salad Niçoise

July –  Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

August – Italian Pasta Salad

September – Chicken Garden Salad with ranch dressing

October – Kale, Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad

November – Hearty Farro Salad

December – Vegan Soba Noodle Salad