Light and Filling Salade Nicoise

Of the many interesting salads offered in France, from those with cheese to meat to more complex combinations, this is one of my favorites. It is a light dish that I find very satisfying. The mix of vegetables and fish makes this a nice dish for spring and summer days.

Ingredients for four people:

• 1 pound of green beans (try to choose the thinnest you can find)

• 1 head of Romaine lettuce

• 1 1/2 cups of tuna fish

• 4 or 6 hard boiled eggs, cut in quarters

• 4-6 tomatoes cut in quarters

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon mustard

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 Tablespoon wine vinegar

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil

• 4-5 anchovy filets

• 8-10 pitted black olives

• salt and pepper, as needed

It is ideal for a light lunch with a piece of baguette in any of our tours in France, as it will give you enough energy and taste to get you to the final day’s destination. You may omit the anchovies, if you don’t like them, or don’t care for the amount of salt they bring to the dish.

Cook al dente the green beans in salted, boiling water and let them cool.

Place the lettuce at the bottom of a big salad bowl. Crumble the tuna in the middle of the salad bowl. Put the green beans around the tuna forming a circle, and place the tomato and egg quarters alternatively around the first circle. Crush the garlic with the salt, add the mustard, the lemon and vinegar juices and mix well. Add the olive oil and pour the mixture over the salad. Place the anchovies and the olives on top of the inner circle.

Bon appetit! Paola