The first week of summer seems like an ideal time to spend a little time with some excellent main dish salads. And lest you think you'll be spending too much time in the kitchen instead of in the garden or hammock, fear not! These meals are absolutely delicious and quick too. It's everything you want in a summer meal. Let's take a look, shall we?
This clever recipe for Chopped Salad Niçoise parts ways with fragile greens and adds tender asparagus and canned beans to make it a heartier meal that can stand up to warmer weather when picnicking or hiking during summer months. It's also an excellent backyard barbecue offering that lends a lot of fuel to your buffet table. If you don't have access to nice asparagus, opt for some lightly steamed green beans instead. Likewise, you can swap red onion for white, yellow, or even green onions to suit your tastes or just use what you have on hand. If you are planning to make this salad early, consider adding the halved cherry tomatoes just before serving to keep their flavor optimal. You can also opt to toss the salad with the dressing just before serving as well.
This salad is an excellent option for replacing a standard potato salad if you've become a little jaded by them or if you are wanting a salad that can be out in the heat longer than a standard mayo-based tater salad. I love it with a menu that involves grilled fish, pizza, or kebabs. Add some fresh melon and your favorite cold drinks and you've got a summer menu that hits all of the sweet spots! And, of course, I just make a big batch and call it lunch during the week to keep things quick and easy too!
Chopped Salad Niçoise
- 8 ounces small red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 eggs
- 6 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, sliced thinly
- ½ cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1 cup white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 canned albacore tuna, drained and flaked
Place the potatoes in the pot of your electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, etc.) on a wire rack to keep them from making contact with the bottom of the pot. Add 1 cup of cold water and nestle the raw eggs on top of the potatoes. Set the pressure cooker to cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Lock the lid in place and set the cycle to run.
Prepare the asparagus for cooking; set aside.
In a small resealable jar, combine the next 6 ingredients (lemon juice through extra-virgin olive oil) and shake vigorously to mix and form a dressing; set aside.
When the pressure cooker cycle ends, manually release the pressure and carefully remove the eggs to a bowl of ice water; set aside. Add the asparagus to the top of the hot potatoes and let it steam on the spuds while you prepare the remaining ingredients and put them in a large serving bowl. Drizzle generously with the lemon vinaigrette and toss lightly. Carefully add the asparagus and potatoes. Stir gently to avoid breaking them while still coating them with the dressing. Peel the eggs and halve them. Arrange them on the top of the salad and serve or chill for up to one day before serving.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes