Chickpeas replace tuna in this vegetarian rendition of the classic French salad. This has become my favorite hearty dinner salad!
Ingredients
For the Dijon-Thyme Vinaigrette:
3/4cupextra virgin olive oil
1/4cupred wine vinegar
1tablespoonchopped fresh thyme leaves
2tablespoonsDijon mustard
1/2shallotminced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4teaspoonkosher salt + more to taste if desired
1/8teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
115-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/2poundgreen beanstrimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4poundbaby red potatoeshalved
1head butter lettucewashed and torn into bite-size pieces
4hard-boiled eggspeeled and quartered
1pintcherry or grape tomatoeshalved
1/2cuppitted Niçoise olives or Kalamata olives
Instructions
Make the dressing. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until well-blended. (You can also add the ingredients to a mason jar, screw on the lid tightly, and shake to mix.) Taste and add additional salt if desired. Set aside.
Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Set a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a couple of pinches of salt and add the green beans. Scoop the beans out with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside. Add baby potatoes to the pot of boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes, until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place in a medium bowl. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the potatoes and toss gently to distribute. Set aside.
Lay the lettuce in an even layer on a large platter. Top with chickpeas, green beans, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, and olives. I like to add the ingredients in sections because I like the presentation. Drizzle with about half of the remaining vinaigrette. Serve immediately with the rest of the vinaigrette alongside so that individuals can add more dressing to their servings if they like.
Notes
Make-ahead tip:
The components of this salad can all be made ahead of time and refrigerated, so that it's easy to assemble right before serving time.
One Dish Two Ways note:
Instead of serving on one large platter, assemble the salads on individual plates then customize each as needed.
Meat option:
Go ahead and add the tuna - or even cooked, chopped chicken - to meat-eaters' individual portions if they'd like.
Vegan option:
Omit the hard-boiled eggs.Heavily adapted from Food Network