Niçoise Salad
It’s all about the dressing here. This Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce, inspired by the one from Cava, is no joke. Slather it on everything & never look back. It pairs amazingly well with the components of this salad. Just like the traditional, sans tuna & egg, the mix of cold raw greens with the warm roasted veggies is a combo that’s hard to beat.
It’s all too effing easy. You throw the veggies in the oven to roast & in the meantime blend up your tahini dressing. By the time the oven timer goes off, you’re ready to veg. I really like the Trader Joe’s organic tahini – and if you aren’t a tahini fan, don’t worry! The sesame flavor doesn’t really come through once it’s all whipped together.
Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce:
3/4 c tahini
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c fresh cilantro
1/2 c fresh parsley
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt (opt for sea salt or Himalayan always)
1/4 tsp pepper
~1/2 c warm filtered water
Throw it all in a blender until combined. You can add more warm water until you reach the desired consistency. Pour into a glass jar for storage, will keep in fridge for about a week.
Niçoise Salad:
1 pound of small potatoes (I like the organic “colored medley” bag from TJ’s)
1 pound green beans
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (I like the organic mixed medley from TJ’s)
Few cups of a sturdy green like curly kale or Tuscan kale (I like the organic shredded kale from TJ’s)
Kalamata olives (again, TJ’s has green organic kalamata olives. Does contain vinegar)
Seasoning suggestions: salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, celery salt, dried parsley, ginger powder
Avocado oil
Slice fingerling potatoes in half, soak in ice water for 10 minutes. Dry, rub with a minimal amount of avocado oil. Put on sheet pan (ceramic pan is ideal), season with salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, celery salt, dried parsley, ginger powder. Roast at 400 for 20ish minutes.
Put washed & dried green beans on the same sheet pan, season with the same blend, roast them along with the potatoes for another 15 minutes or until green beans are cooked through & potatoes are crispy. Can crisp under the broiler for a minute for extra browning.
Toss the greens with the tahini dressing, top with the roasted veggies, sliced tomatoes, chopped olives. Top with more tahini dressing.