A delicious twist on a Niçoise salad! I plate warm red potatoes and fresh green bean tossed in a red wine vinaigrette on a cool bed of mixed greens, sprinkled with hard-cooked eggs and red grape tomatoes.
It is light, vibrant, and fresh…perfect for any spring day.
Warm weather calls for lighter foods. This niçoise salad is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. In what seems to be a simple salad you will find this baby is packed with great nutrients!
It’s hard to beat the nutrients found in eggs. I think they are egg-mazing! They are inexpensive and provide the most bioavailable source of protein for your body. That means our bodies can easily and most effectively use the protein from eggs.
The protein in eggs contains all the essential amino acids. Eggs are high in choline and are excellent sources of selenium and riboflavin. I love that eggs have lutein and zeaxanthin. I am noticing as I get older my eyesight is changing and these nutrients are great for helping protect my eyes.
For those of you who don’t like to eat the yolk, you might want to reconsider. The white does have the majority of the eggs protein. But most of an egg’s nutrients are found in the yolk. So, to get all the benefits it is best to eat the whole egg.
I use the term Niçoise lightly, as this isn’t a true Niçoise salad. This salad does have all the fresh spirit of Niçoise. In all this freshness you will get a variety of antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene. You also get vitamins C and A, plus lots of great fiber.
I steam the green beans to help retain their nutrients. Then I use the microwave to quickly cook the potatoes. I find that preparing them like that ensures they are done at the same time. Then they can be tossed while they are warm in the vinaigrette so they absorb the flavor.
Speaking of vinaigrette…this red wine vinaigrette is delicious! It is my go-to dressing for most of my salads. 😀
This salad is a delicious meal that brightly says spring is here!
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- 6 oz fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
- 4 small red potatoes, washed and cleaned
- 2 large hard-cooked eggs, quartered
- 8 red grape tomatoes, halved
- 5 oz spring mix salad
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup cold water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- In a small sauté pan steam green beans in ¼ cup of water over medium high heat.
- Place cleaned potatoes in microwave on full power for 3 minutes. Carefully, cut into wedges.
- Add green beans and wedged potatoes in a small bowl. Toss with 1 tbsp of red wine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Divide salad mix on plates. Top with green beans, potatoes, eggs and tomatoes.
- Drizzle with red wine vinaigrette.
- In a tall cup or small bowl add garlic, mustard, honey, red wine vinegar, and cold water.
- Using an emulsion blender, slowly pour in oil. Blend until combined.