Marinated White Bean Nicoise Salad

This is a great make-ahead picnic salad. Keep the marinated beans in one container, the potato salad in another, and have the lettuce ready in a bag.

SOY-FREE OPTION*, GLUTEN-FREE

TOTAL PREP TIME: 15 minutes

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE MARINATED BEANS

• 1 1/2 cups (269 g) cooked white beans or 1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g), rinsed and drained
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (28 to 45 ml) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (28 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
• Salt and pepper

FOR THE VEGGIE-POTATO SALAD

• 12 baby Yellow Finn or red potatoes, cut into quarters (peeled if not organic)
• 2 carrots, thickly sliced (peeled if not organic)
• 2 cups (200 g) green beans, ends removed and cut in half
• 12 olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) vegan mayonnaise (*use soy-free)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kala namak
• Black pepper, to taste

FOR SERVING 

• 8 cups (440 g) torn lettuce

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE MARINATED BEANS

1. The day or night before, combine the cooked white beans (or canned beans), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, agave nectar, salt, and pepper in a container with a tight sealing lid.
2. Shake the container to ensure all the beans are coated with the marinade.
3. Store the container in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re in a hurry, marinating for 30 minutes will work.

FOR THE VEGGIE-POTATO SALAD

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots in a pot of water until they are just done, approximately 20 minutes.
2. Steam the green beans until they turn bright green, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Allow the boiled potatoes, carrots, and steamed green beans to cool.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled vegetables with the chopped olives, herbes de Provence, and vegan mayonnaise.
5. Stir in the kala namak, a salt that imparts an eggy flavor. Adjust the amount to taste.
6. Season with black pepper.
7. Store the veggie-potato salad mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

TO SERVE

1. Place a layer of torn lettuce on each plate.
2. Top the lettuce with a large scoop of the veggie-potato salad mixture.
3. Sprinkle the marinated beans around and on top of the salad.
4. Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

PER SERVING

• 602.6 calories; 17.0 g total fat; 1.0 g saturated fat; 16.0 g protein; 104.0 g carbohydrate; 14.8 g dietary fiber; 0 mg cholesterol.

DID YOU KNOW?

•  Herbes de Provence is a mixture of thyme, savory, marjoram, rosemary, and lavender flowers. Now you can make some of your own!
•  Kala namak is a salt that’s used in Indian cooking. It’s the ingredient that transforms plain tofu into the perfect breakfast scramble and gives the extra flavor boost to this salad that a nonvegan Nicoise salad gets from eggs.

FANCY BEAN SUBSTITUTES:

• Flageolet, Lila, Christmas Limas