Make no mistake, this vegan niçoise salad is stripped of eggs and tuna, but it is fully dressed in top-notch flavor and texture. To veganize, chickpeas stand in for eggs, and artichoke hearts for tuna. The roasted veggies, salty capers, and quality olive oil make this vegan version shine so bright. Finish it off with homemade niçoise dressing. There are a lot of beautiful salads in this cookbook, but this might be the prettiest.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound little red or multicolored potatoes, halved
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 8 romaine lettuce leaves
- 8 radicchio leaves (or use more romaine if you can't find rachicchio)
- 1 & 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup jarred marinated artichoke hearts
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup jarred green or black olives, pitted and halved
- 2 tbsp capers
- Vegan niçoise dressing (there are plenty of recipes online)
- Sprigs of parsley, mint, basil, and/or fennel, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- In a bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then sprinkle on the oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and roast until tender, 30 to 35 minutes
- Toss the asparagus in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil, spread on a baking sheet, and roast at the same time as the potatoes, until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. (Alternatively, toss the asparagus in the oil and grill in an indoor grill pan or an outdoor grill.)
- Place the romaine and radicchio leaves onto plates. Top with the roasted potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, olives, and capers.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salads. Garnish with fresh herbs.