Recipe: chickpea salade niçoise

This niçoise is fully loaded with hearty potatoes, seasoned chickpeas, colourful vegetables, and crispy lettuce. It is summery, crunchy, and full of flavours you would typically find in a salad niçoise from the South of France – one of my favourite places in France to visit.

The freshness of this salad takes me back to the morning markets in the Old Town of Nice, where I used to buy the ingredients to prepare this vibrant salad. We loved to pack it in containers and picnic on the beach.

Enjoy this salad (Vegan, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, No Added Sugar) as a delicious healthy lunch, dinner, or side salad.

Serves 4

Read also: Recipe: fresh fava bean and asparagus salad

Ingredients

Lemon Dijon dressing

• 1⁄3 cup olive oil

• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots

• 1 clove garlic, finely diced

• 1 1/2 teaspoons agave

• 1⁄2 teaspoon white miso

• 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano

Chickpeas

• 1 can (400ml) chickpeas, rinsed

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Pinch of fine sea salt

Salad

• 200g green beans, trimmed

• 200g baby potatoes, colour, cut into bite-size pieces

• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber

• 1⁄4 cup pitted mixed Greek olives

• 1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

• 1⁄4 cup drained capers

• Pinch of fine sea salt

• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Read also: Discover the culinary delights of dandelions in France

Method

1. Make the Lemon Dijon Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, shallots, garlic, agave, miso, salt, pepper, and oregano. Whisk to combine. Set aside to allow the flavours to meld together.

2. Prepare the Chickpeas: In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, mustard, oregano, and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.

3. Make the Salad: Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high, add the green beans, and cook until the beans are vivid green and just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the green beans and submerge them in the ice water. 

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and rinse under cool running water. Drain the green beans. Pat dry the potatoes and green beans.

4. Spread the romaine lettuce on a large serving platter. Evenly arrange the green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and red onion over the romaine. Sprinkle with the seasoned chickpeas, chives, capers, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Serve the Lemon Dijon Dressing on the side for drizzling. (Alternatively, you can toss all the ingredients together in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing to taste just before serving.)

The Two Spoons Cookbook – More Than 100 French-Inspired Vegan Recipes by Hannah Sunderani, is published by Penguin Canada. Food photography by Hannah Sunderani.