Chickpea Nicoise Salad

Tossed with an herby lemon dressing, this vegetarian take on the classic Nicoise salad makes a healthy weeknight meal for spring or summer. Gluten free.

We were on vacation in Nice around this time last year, and I think I ate a nicoise salad for lunch every day of that trip. Or as Jack has coined it, the “Nizzan” salad, because the Italians call Nice “Nizza” (pronounced like pizza).

We learned this as were running through the Rome airport (we are always running), and the airport desk workers were yelling out “Nizza! Nizza! last call for Nizza!” So that’s what we call it now. The city and the salad.

This is one of my favorite main course salads because it’s so filling yet light and healthy. Feel free to add tuna here, or leave it out as I did in this vegetarian version.

I prefer crispy potatoes to traditional boiled potatoes, so I roasted mine in the oven with garlic and olive oil. You’ll also notice the absence of olives here… Jack and I both hate olives, but by all means include them if you like them.

I have a big bunch of dill growing in my garden so I mixed that into my Dijon dressing. And, well, what goes better with mustard in a summery dish than dill?

5.0 from 2 reviews

Chickpea Nicoise Salad

PrintAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: 2 as a main, 4 as a sideIngredientsFor the roasted potatoes:

2 medium red potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea salt and fresh black pepper

For the dressing:

½ shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (about ½ a medium lemon)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Sea salt and fresh black pepper

For the salad:

3 cups mixed baby salad greens
1 cup green beans, blanched and chopped
½ cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
6 gherkin pickles
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Arrange the chopped potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss with the garlic and pinches of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy on the edges.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together the shallot, Dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, dill, and pinches of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

When the potatoes are done, assemble the salads with the greens, green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, eggs, pickles, capers, and potatoes. Serve the dressing on the side, or toss salad greens together with the dressing, green beans, chickpeas, potatoes, and tomatoes and then top salad with the eggs, gherkins, and capers.

3.4.3177

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbvVnpinnJyaurC60meaqKVfmLWqr8qpnJplnp6wsLXSnmSsmZyWsW6%2BzpqqrZ2UYr2wwMCtpp6rXw%3D%3D