Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad

Still hot, hot, HOT in Los Angeles!

So is there anything better than a composed salad? Especially when said salad contains delicious bits like seared Ahi tuna, spindly green beans, briny capers, olive oil cured olives, creamy eggs, and poached red potatoes. Welcome to the Nicoise Salad, one of my favorite dishes in the world.

For the dressing, I whip up a mustardy-lemony dressing. I thinly slice red onions and pickle them slightly in the dressing, which I heap generously onto the salad.

Now I'm hungry—I may be making this for dinner again!

Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad

Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Gluten-free; dairy-free

Ingredients

4 cups organic mixed greens
1 pound Ahi tuna
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/4 cup black olives cured in olive oil
10 small red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, halved or quartered and boiled until tender
4 eggs, boiled until cooked to desired wellness, peeled, and quartered
2 cups haricot vert (green beans), blanched
salt and freshly ground pepper

dressing:
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or more if desired)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. To make the dressing, whisk the lemon juice, garlic, capers, and mustard together in a bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in the thyme and red onion. Set aside, allowing the red onion to pickle slightly.

2. Meanwhile, season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Quickly sear the tuna, turning once. Cook to desired wellness (I prefer to leave my rare in the middle). Set aside to rest for a few minutes, before slicing.

3. Make the composed salad by placing the mixed greens in the bottom of four large bowls, dividing it evenly. Repeat the process with the haricot vert (green beans), potatoes, olives, eggs, and sliced tuna. Finish by spooning the dressing generously over the top. Enjoy!