Niçoise salad

Nothing says summer like a Niçoise salad. I don’t like to confine it just to summer, though, so I roll out this salad all year round. When something is this easy to prepare, why wouldn’t you have it on repeat? Packed up for lunch, stuffed inside a baguette, eaten alongside a warming bowl of soup in the winter months, and then, it’s summer again, the tomatoes are ripe and ready, and you have just what it takes to whip up a Niçoise right in front of your sun-kissed eyes (erm, wishful thinking!).This is a super-versatile salad and you can mix and match the ingredients to suit what is in season, if you like. If the tomatoes aren’t good, leave them out and use a handful of sundried tomatoes. If your green beans are looking limp, stir in some tinned cannellini beans in their place. And if fresh tuna is on offer, throw it on the griddle and slice it up to take this salad to very special status. For maximum flavour, let your potatoes and green beans cool in the vinaigrette. Make ahead Everything for this recipe can be done in advance and combined just before serving, making it a perfect entertaining dish or ideal to pack up for work lunches throughout the week. The shortcut By cooking the potatoes, eggs and green beans in just the one pan and making the dressing directly in the serving bowl, you save a good 15 minutes on washing up alone.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

First, make the dressing in the same large bowl that you will use to serve up the salad. Mix together the anchovies, capers, garlic, mustard, vinegar, olive oil and plenty of seasoning. Stir in most of the parsley, then set aside.

Step 2

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and eggs and cook for 6 minutes, then add the green beans and cook for a further 4 minutes. Drain, setting the eggs to one side, then tip the potatoes and beans into the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Cool the eggs under running cold water, then drain again. Peel and halve each egg, then set aside.

Step 3

Add the lettuce, red peppers and tomatoes to the potatoes and beans, and gently toss to combine. Scatter over the olives and flake over the tuna. Top with the egg halves and the remaining parsley, then serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil and some crusty bread.