Here’s a lovely hot weather salad using tuna canned in oil (rather than grilling tuna steaks). This photo is with grilled tuna…excellent, too.
(Serves 4 -6)
8 to 12 tiny new potatoes, or 4 small red potatoes, halved | 1 large head leafy lettuce, such as Boston or red leaf, well washed and drained (or from a box!) |
Caper Vinaigrette (below) | 12 cherry tomatoes, halved if large |
¾ pound green beans, trimmed—I often use frozen | ¼ cup (or more) red onion thinly sliced and soaked in ice water for 15 minutes |
2 small cans fancy tuna in oil | 4 hard-cooked eggs, halved |
¼ teaspoon salt (or less) | 1 2-ounce can flat anchovy fillets, drained |
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper | 1/3 cup tiny black Niçoise olives |
- Steam potatoes until tender, 20- 30 minutes. While still warm, cut in half lengthwise and toss with 3 tablespoons Caper Vinaigrette; set aside to cool completely.
- Boil green beans in a large saucepan of salted water until just crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes (or more, if you prefer less crunch). Drain and rinse under cold running water; drain well.
- Line a large platter with lettuce leaves. Coarsely break tuna into chunks and place in center of platter. Arrange potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, red onion, and eggs decoratively around tuna. Crisscross anchovy fillets over top and scatter olives over all. I often use Kalamata olives instead of searching out Niçoise.
- Drizzle ¼ cup Caper Vinaigrette over salad. Pass remaining dressing at table.
Caper Vinaigrette
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard | ¼ cup white wine vinegar |
½ teaspoon salt | ¾ cup olive oil |
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper | 3 tablespoons capers, drained |
Combine mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil until well blended. Stir in capers.
