NIÇOISE SALAD with PLANT-BASED EGGS and OLIVE DIRT
SERVES 6
This recipe is a bit cheffy. A few years ago, I showcased it at the Seed Food and Wine Festival in Miami, and it was a huge hit. The purple potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes are standard, but the olive dirt is the salty, earthy flavor bomb that brings it all together. I use olive dirt to season everything from avocado toast (here) to Cacio e Pepe (here). You’ll need to pick up chocolate egg molds to make the plant-based eggs (see Pro Tips in the egg recipe, here), but it’s worth it because making plant-based eggs is mind-blowing. Along with this Niçoise, you can use the eggs in egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, or anywhere else you would use hard-cooked eggs. Kala namak is crucial for the eggs. It’s a special Indian salt with a high sulfur content, which gives them an eggy taste. Kala namak is easy to buy online and in most gourmet shops. —CHAD
6 small Peruvian purple potatoes (about 6 ounces total), scrubbed
8 ounces (about 1½ cups) green beans
½ cup Mustard Seed Vinaigrette (here)
½ cup Olive Dirt (here)
6 plum-size Crimson tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
Flake salt, such as Maldon
Freshly cracked black pepper
3 Plant-Based Eggs (here), each sliced
Kala namak (Indian black salt), for sprinkling
1½ cups small mustard greens or watercress
Put the whole unpeeled potatoes in a saucepot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until a fork slides in and out easily, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool.
Meanwhile, bring a fresh pot of water to a boil and set up a large bowl of ice water. Blanch the green beans in the boiling water until bright green, 30 seconds. Remove and plunge into the ice water to stop cooking. Drain and cut in half crosswise, then toss with ¼ cup of the vinaigrette. Set aside.
Using a mandoline or truffle slicer, slice the cooled purple potatoes paper-thin. Set aside.
To assemble, get 6 large round flat plates. On each plate, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of olive dirt around the edge of the plate, forming a curved, backwards C shape and leaving the other side open. Arrange the tomato wedges, marinated green beans, and potato slices over the olive dirt, alternating the pieces. Sprinkle with flake salt and cracked black pepper. Place 2 egg halves onto the C, and sprinkle each half with kala namak. Arrange some greens on top. Drizzle on about 2 teaspoons vinaigrette, covering all the ingredients.