MOOD-CHANGING SALADS // Spinach & Agrodolce "Nicoise" Salad

I've always loved salad...dressing... with a touch of lettuce. Are you the same? This insanely delicious salad will have you re-thinking your entire life trajectory when you realize how simple it is to eat healthy but not lose a single drop of flavor! And it isn't only coming from the dressing, I promise.

This non-traditional take on a nicoise is basically an excuse to put together a super tasty salad using a random mix of ingredients and then give it a traditional name. The reason I am calling it nicoise is because it has two main ingredients that are used on a traditional nicoise salad - potatoes and tuna. Typically the salad is a simple but super flavorful combo of roasted potatoes, green beans, and tuna, eggs, tomatoes and some kind of mustardy / vinegary dressing. This version takes all those flavors and goes one step further with the addition of roasted chickpeas, asparagus, and Parmesan cheese with a super yummy vinaigrette using truffle mustard, shallot, agrodolce vinegar, and furikake seasoning. If you aren't familiar with furikake - its this Japanese "all-purpose" seasoning using dried seaweed and other seeds. Its delicious and super savory! Yum!

PLATTER GIRL NICOISE SALAD RECIPE

Salad Ingredients

2 cups fresh spinach

2 cups fresh arugula

14 oz canned tuna fish, in oil or drain and drizzle with olive oil and salt/pepper

4 yukon gold potatoes, diced and roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper

1 bunch of asparagus spears, cleaned/trimmed and broiled with olive oil, salt and pepper

1 small can sliced black olives

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 can garbanzo chickpeas, drained and skins peeled, broiled with black and white pepper and salt

1 shallot, diced and roasted with the potatoes

1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

1 cup of Truffle Dijon & Agrodulce Vinaigrette

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons Agrodulce vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Truffle Dijon & Agrodulce Vinaigrette Recipe

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup agrodulce white vinegar

1 tablespoon truffle dijon mustard (I like the one from Wilder)

2 tsp Japanese furikake seasoning

1/2 shallot, finely diced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake to oblivion. Done and done!

Here is how to style your Nicoise Salad -->

1. Lay down a nice bed of the spinach and arugula on a big white oval ceramic platter similar to THIS. Make sure to drizzle on a nice little layer of olive oil and the agrodolce vinegar plus salt and pepper on the leaves before adding the toppings to the salad. This ensures every bite is dressed and flavorful!

2. Starting with the larger ingredients first like the potatoes and tuna and layer them on your salad working in groups and ensuring you spread them out across the entire salad. I like to have 5 places on the platter where I group ingredients together. Check out my REELS video for how the salad comes together and get a visual for what I am talking about.

3. Shave the parmesan cheese on top and drizzle on the dressing. Add any additional salt and pepper or spicy additions you like.

4. Serve family-style with tongs, plates and utensils on the side.

Enjoy!

XO,

Lea