This Vegetarian Nicoise Salad is so absolutely savory, briny, and uber delicious. I also created this amazing vegan tuna to go along with it that just hits the spot every time (and can also be made minus the salad). The textures on this salad are insanely good and intense. Each ingredient contributes something distinct and unique that just adds on loads and loads of delicious and satisfying taste. Don’t just walk to the kitchen – run!
What You Will Find In This Post
- What is a Nicose salad?
- How are we making this Nicoise Salad vegetarian?
- Why is this vegetarian nicoise salad good for us
- Easy Swaps and Questions
- How to adjust this recipe to your individual dietary requirements
- Other hearty salad recipes on the blog
What Is A Nicoise Salad?
A Nicoise Salad is a French salad that originated in the heart of Nice (hence, the name). It is a salad that is packed with fresh vegetables, lots of protein, and savory elements. All of these let the Nicoise Salad feel more like a complete meal than a side salad.
How Are We Making This Nicoise Salad Vegetarian?
Originally, a Nicoise salad is made with packed tuna, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, anchovies, and olives. In the less traditional version, it tends to also include potatoes and green beans, which is what we are using today. Today, we are substituting the tuna for a mixture of chickpeas, tofu, lemon juice, olive oil, and capers. This gives the tangy feel of the “sea” element you would usually get from a tuna, whilst still providing an excellent element of protein and the same overall taste and texture you usually get from this salad.
Why Is This Vegetarian Nicoise Salad Good For You?
This Vegetarian Nicoise Salad is packed with protein – from chickpeas, tofu, and eggs. Protein is so essential for our bodies. It is involved in the building of cells, tissues, and organs. It helps our cells to grow and repair themselves, and it supports the building and maintaining of muscle mass. Muscle is so important, especially as we age. Why? Because it is one of the key drivers that continues to keep us mobile, agile, and moving. It is also a key driver in preventing osteoporosis and arthritis. There are so many great benefits to consuming the right amount of protein for you and your needs – never underestimate that!
Next to some very crunchy elements, this salad also packs loads of fiber (mainly coming from the chickpeas and green beans), as well as antioxidants. One of the main antioxidants found in tomatoes is lycopene. Lycopene is known to reduce oxidative stress and may play a role in cancer prevention. The antioxidants found in green beans have been shown to be beneficial for your eye health, and may prevent macular degeneration as we age. Altogether, this salad is a powerhouse when it comes to macro- and micronutrients that you cannot go wrong with!
Easy Swaps and Questions
How do I serve this Vegetarian Nicoise Salad? This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. This is excellent because it means you can easily prep this salad in advance! You can plate this salad in its individual components and then only combine when being eaten, or take a bit of each individual component.
Can I make this Vegetarian Nicoise Salad vegan? You can very easily make this salad vegan by simply omitting the eggs. All the other ingredients are already vegan-friendly.
How long does this Vegetarian Nicoise Salad last? The individual components can be prepped 1 day in advance when stored in the fridge. If you want to keep leftovers, I recommend not putting the dressing on everything and making the eggs fresh. Your salad should last 2 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.
How to adjust this recipe to your individual dietary requirements
This recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free. If you want to make it dairy-free or vegan, you can simply omit the eggs.
Other Hearty Salad Recipes On The Blog
There are so many recipes on the blog that are crunchy, delicious, full of flavor, and make a satisfying meal. Be sure to check out the following:
- Roasted Cauliflower Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Perfect Soba Noodle Salad
- Vegetarian Taco Salad
- Vegan Tuscan “Tuna” White Bean Salad
And there you have it for this week!! I hope you enjoy this absolutely delicious and divine salad as much as we do over here. As always, please leave a message, comment, or a rating if you are making this recipe. They help others to find those recipes on the site that are most loved as well. Thank you and happy salad making!!
Vegetarian Nicoise Salad
2
servings35
minutes25
minutes35
minutesSavory, delicious, and layered with lots and lots of flavor and texture. This Vegetarian Nicoise Salad does not disappoint. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- For the Vegan Tuna
1/2 red onion
1 can chickpeas
200 gr. tofu
3 tbsp capers
2 tbsp caper juice
2 lemons, juiced – see notes*
1 tbsp mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
- For the Vegetarian Nicoise Salad
500 gr. small potatoes
300 gr. green beans
4 eggs
200 gr. cherry tomatoes
Rocket or other greens (optional)
Herbs (optional)
- For the salad dressing
2 tsp mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
How to
- For the Vegan Tuna
- Drain and wash the chickpeas. Add to a bowl. With a potato masher, gently mash the chickpeas until largely coarse. Grind the tofu so that it is super small. Peel and finely chop the red onion, as well as the capers. Add everything into the bowl. Mix under the caper juice, lemon juice, and mustard. Do a taste test and adjust with salt and pepper. Set aside
- For the Vegetarian Nicoise Salad
- Wash the potatoes. I tend to not peel them, but if you prefer peeled potatoes, peel them. Add along to a larger pot with plenty of water and a pinch of salt. Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes before adding the green beans for a final 5-6 until just soft enough but still holding a bit of crunch
- Meanwhile, prepare the salad remaining salad ingredients by: (1) Washing and de-stemming the green beans in order to add along to the potatoes, (2) washing the cherry tomatoes and halving them, (3) washing and draining the rocket and herbs if using, and (4) cooking the eggs in a bit of water until soft in the middle, ca. 5 – 6 minutes
- For the salad dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and pepper. Mix until well combined
- For serving, plate up all the ingredients, alongside the vegan tuna. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- My lemons were really big, so I only used 1 1/2 in the end.
