Vegan Chickpea Nicoise Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15oz can
• 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/8 of a red onion - finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• splash of apple cider vinegar
• large pinch of sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• generous splash of olive oil
• about 1/4 cup chopped dill
• 1 shallot - minced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• generous squeeze of lemon juice
• pinch of sea salt
• about 1/4 cup of olive oil
• about 1 lb small/young potatoes
• sea salt
• neutral coconut, avocado, or grape seed oil
• 2 large handfuls green beens - strings removed if present
• 1 head of butter lettuce or other salad greens
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes - halved
• about 1 cup olives - roughly chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or a fork in a medium bowl. Add the sunflower seeds, red onion, capers, mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes/cayenne, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, olive oil, and dill. Mash everything together lightly, and then mix thoroughly. Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse into a chunky mixture. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Set aside.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, combine the minced shallot with apple cider vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and whisk to mix. Add the olive oil and whisk to emulsify. Set aside.

3. 3

   Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft throughout, taking care not to overcook them. Drain and let cool. Cut the potatoes in halves and/or quarters and set aside.

4. 4

   Warm the oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the green beans, and sauté until blistered in places. Add a splash of water, sea salt and cover with a lid. Let the beans steam through and soften for a few minutes, until soft but not mushy. Remove from the heat and set aside.

5. 5

   Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Arrange the green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives on top. Spoon the chickpea 'tuna' over the salad and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Enjoy!