Salade niçoise

For our French World Cup meal we’re having salad niçoise with chocolate mousse for dessert. We have salade niçoise a lot – quick, healthy and easy to customise each plate for each person’s preferences: extra anchovies for me, no tuna for Lyra, double onions for Adam, pass on the capers for Nova etc.

Salade niçoise
(serves 4)

• 8 small new potatoes
• 50g fine green beans
• 4 eggs
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 of a cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
• half a red onion, sliced thinly
• a handful of black olives
• 8 anchovy fillets (or two per person who eats them)
• 4 tsp capers
• 2 tins tuna fish, drained
• 2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated
• several fresh basil leaves, torn in pieces
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender (about ten minutes).
2. A few minutes before they are done, add the beans and boil 3-4 minutes.
3. Drain the vegetables into a colander, and run under cold water to stop them cooking further.
4. Boil the eggs for ten minutes, then run under cold water.
5. Cut the potatoes into chunks and halve the beans. Peel and slice the hard boiled eggs.
6. Set out four dinner plates and assemble the salads. Start with the lettuce leaves, then arrange the potatoes, beans, egg slices, tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, tuna, anchovies and capers on top.
7. Scatter with basil, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and season to taste.

Family score: 8.9 out of 10

Tags: dairy-free, French food, gluten-free, green beans, potatoes, tuna