It’s the 14th July, Bastille Day in France so a French lunch was needed. It may be quite cold and pouring with rain (yet again) but I still think a lovely salad makes the perfect lunch. This is my veggie version of a Salade Niçoise – obviously it can’t really be authentic without the tuna and anchovies, but it still tastes pretty nice (nicer?) and is certainly very French and summery in feel.

Veggie Niçoise Salad (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

use amounts you like/need of each vegetable

• new potatoes, cooked and cooled, cut into bite sized pieces
• green beans, blanched for 3-4 minutes, then refreshed in cold water
• crunchy salad leaves, I used frisée
• yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
• cherry tomatoes, halved
• black olives

– Assemble all the vegetables on a decorative plate.

– Drizzle with the shallot and mustard vinaigrette (recipe to follow)