This vegan Nicoise salad is a platter full of colour, texture, and flavour that looks as good as it tastes! I swap out the tuna and eggs for seasoned and roasted chickpeas, and a lemony vinaigrette brings it all together.
A traditional Nicoise salad—or salade niçoise if we want to use the proper French spelling—is a composed salad made with hard-boiled eggs, tuna or anchovies, potatoes, green beans, and olives.
A composed salad means that rather than tossing everything together in a bowl, the ingredients are carefully arranged on a plate or serving platter. While I love traditional salads like this kale salad , composed salads like this vegan Nicoise salad remind me of that saying about how we eat first with our eyes—all those colours and textures make me so excited to dig in!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Nicoise Salad Recipe
- Satisfying and hearty . This isn’t just a big bowl of greens! You can make a complete meal out of this vegan nicoise salad recipe—but you can also use it as a side dish too.
- Make it your own . As with most salad recipes, this is an easy recipe to customise. Put your own spin on this salad by swapping out the protein, dressing, or veggies.
- A feast for the eyes . This salad doesn’t just taste good—it’s beautiful on a serving platter too! With its rainbow of colours and varied textures, it’s sure to impress your guests if you serve it for a party.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Salad
- Chickpeas – Drain and rinse the chickpeas before starting the recipe.
- Olive oil
- Seasoning – Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, and dried oregano.
- Baby red potatoes – Or another variety of baby potato.
- Haricot vert – Haricot vert are thinner than regular green beans because they’re harvested younger; you can use regular green beans instead.
- Lettuce – I use a combination of chopped butter lettuce and spring mix.
- Radishes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Parisian cucumber – English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers can also be used.
- Nicoise olives
- Artichokes hearts – Canned or marinated artichoke hearts from a jar are both fine here.
- Green onions – You’ll only need the white parts for this vegan Nicoise salad.
- Capers
For the Dressing
- Red wine vinegar
- Lemon – Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled for the best flavour.
- Olive oil
- Shallot – The acid in the dressing will mellow the sharpness of the raw shallot.
- Garlic
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Fresh herbs – Thyme, basil, and parsley.
What Are Nicoise Olives?
Nicoise olives are small, dark olives that come from the region around Nice in France. They have a firm texture, slightly wrinkled appearance, and rich, briny taste. If you can’t find them, you can swap in Kalamata olives.
How to Make Vegan Nicoise Salad
- Roast the chickpeas. Toss the chickpeas with the olive oil and seasonings. Spread them onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 425ºF for 20 minutes.
- Boil the potatoes. Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes; cut them in half when cool.
- Cook the beans. Add the green beans to the boiling water. Cook for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water.
- Assemble the salad. Arrange the ingredients on a serving platter.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat or, to keep the salad artfully arranged on the platter, serve the dressing on the side.
Tips for Success
- Dry the chickpeas well . Before adding the oil and seasonings to the chickpeas, make sure they are thoroughly dried. This will help them get crispy in the oven. (For more tips on roasting chickpeas, see this post: How to Make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas .)
- Buy potatoes that are roughly the same size . This ensures that they’re all finished cooking around the same time.
- Make it ahead of time . You can prepare all the components of this vegan Nicoise salad—the chickpeas, potatoes, beans, and dressing—ahead of time and keep them stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. Just assemble and dress right before serving for maximum freshness.
Variations
I swap out the traditional tuna with roasted chickpeas in this vegan Nicoise salad, but there are a lot of other options to try! Here are some additional ideas:
- Tofu . Marinated tofu or lemon pepper tofu would both be delicious in this Nicoise salad.
- Vegan chicken . This vegan chicken would make a savoury protein-packed addition to this salad recipe.
- Beans . Try marinated white beans, lima beans, or lupini beans instead of the roasted chickpeas.
- Vegan fish . Use hearts-of-palm vegan fish sticks as a replacement for tuna in traditional Nicoise salad. ( Vegan crab cakes are another option to try!)
How to Store
The best way to store this vegan Nicoise salad is to keep all of the components in separate containers; the vegetables will keep for 3 to 4 days, while the dressing will last for a week.
This, of course, is not always practical if you’ve already assembled the salad; in that case, you can store everything in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
More Delicious Vegan Salad Recipes
- Chickpea Panzanella Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad
- Easy Vegan Caesar Salad
- Greek Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed , 425 grams
- ½ tablespoon olive oil , 7.5 ml
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided , 4.5 grams
- A pinch of ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder , 1 gram
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder , 1 gram
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder , ½ gram
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 12 baby red potatoes
- 6 ounces haricot vert , 170 grams
- 4 cups chopped butter lettuce , 240 grams
- 3 cups spring mix , 135 grams
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes , 116 grams
- 1 ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes , 248 grams
- 2 Parisian cucumber , thinly sliced into rounds
- ¾ cup pitted Nicoise olives , 101 grams
- 6 canned artichokes hearts , drained and quartered
- 5 green onions , thinly sliced (whites only)
- 2 tablespoons capers , 15 grams
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar , 30 ml
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil , 118 ml
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot , 28 grams
- 1 cloves garlic , minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt , 2 grams
- A pinch of ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh thyme , 2 grams
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil , 4 grams
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley , 4 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss together the chickpeas, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon ( 1.5 grams) salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and oregano. Spread the chickpeas over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add ½ teaspoon ( 3 grams) salt. Add the potatoes and boil for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Scoop them out of the water and set aside. Keep the water boiling. Once cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes in half.
- Add the haricot vert to the water you boiled the potatoes in and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Set aside.
- Toss together the butter lettuce, spring mix, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, artichoke hearts, green onions, and capers.
- Whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, and parsley.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Notes
Vegan Nicoise Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 425 grams
- ½ tablespoon olive oil 7.5 ml
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided 4.5 grams
- A pinch of ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 1 gram
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder 1 gram
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder ½ gram
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 12 baby red potatoes
- 6 ounces haricot vert 170 grams
- 4 cups chopped butter lettuce 240 grams
- 3 cups spring mix 135 grams
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes 116 grams
- 1 ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes 248 grams
- 2 Parisian cucumber thinly sliced into rounds
- ¾ cup pitted Nicoise olives 101 grams
- 6 canned artichokes hearts drained and quartered
- 5 green onions thinly sliced (whites only)
- 2 tablespoons capers 15 grams
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 30 ml
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil 118 ml
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot 28 grams
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt 2 grams
- A pinch of ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh thyme 2 grams
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil 4 grams
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 4 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss together the chickpeas, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon ( 1.5 grams) salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and oregano. Spread the chickpeas over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add ½ teaspoon ( 3 grams) salt. Add the potatoes and boil for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Scoop them out of the water and set aside. Keep the water boiling. Once cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes in half.
- Add the haricot vert to the water you boiled the potatoes in and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Set aside.
- Toss together the butter lettuce, spring mix, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, artichoke hearts, green onions, and capers.
- Whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, and parsley.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Nicoise Salad https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-nicoise-salad/ July 15, 2024
This vegan moussaka recipe has all the flavour of the classic Greek eggplant dish, but with tender lentils and mushrooms replacing the ground meat!
To me, Greek cuisine truly represents the crossroads of different cultures. Southern European ingredients are paired with Middle Eastern flavours to create unique dishes—and this vegan moussaka is the perfect example! ( Vegan tempeh gyros with tzatziki is another.)
Moussaka is a traditional Greek dish that’s kind of like a casserole and typically made with layers of eggplant, ground meat, and béchamel sauce. It’s creamy, savoury, and aromatic, with lots of fragrant herbs and spices in the tomato sauce. My vegan moussaka recipe swaps out the meat and dairy, but I promise you won’t miss them one bit!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Moussaka Recipe
- A simple vegan swap . I know store-bought ground meat isn’t for everyone! This recipe uses wholesome lentils and mushrooms as a replacement for the traditional ground beef or lamb.
- Perfect for meal prep . This vegan moussaka is great for batch cooking and meal prepping. Just like vegetable lasagna , you can make a big pan of it and store it in the fridge or freezer for later!
- Hearty and satisfying . The lentils and mushrooms in this vegan moussaka give it a hearty, meaty texture, making it a satisfying dish for both vegans and non-vegans alike.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Roasted eggplant –You’ll need 2 globe eggplant for this vegan moussaka recipe, along with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano for seasoning.
- Roasted potatoes – For these, you’ll need Yukon gold potatoes, along with the oil, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Lentils – Use dry green lentils; cook them in water, then season with salt and pepper.
Sauce
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Seasonings – Fresh garlic is combined with salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried thyme and oregano, and bay leaves.
- Tomato paste – This adds some umami to the sauce.
- Dry red wine – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are all dry red wines.
- Mushrooms – White mushrooms or cremini would both work.
- Crushed tomatoes
- Fresh parsley – If you have extra, use it to make parsley pesto .
Bechamel
- Vegan butter – I like to use my homemade vegan butter .
- Flour
- Plant milk – Make sure it’s unflavoured and unsweetened.
- Nutritional yeast
- Nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Vegan Moussaka
- Prep the eggplant . Salt it and let it sit on a baking sheet for up to an hour. Squeeze out the excess moisture.
- Season the eggplant and potatoes . Toss both in bowls with the oil and seasonings.
- Roast . Bake the potatoes in a 375ºF oven for 20 minutes and the eggplant for 25 minutes, flipping at the halfway point.
- Cook the lentils . Combine all the ingredients for the lentils in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.
- Sauté the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt; cook until it’s translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add flavor. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, and oregano. Once fragrant, add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze. Pour the wine into the pan and cook for 1 minute, scraping off any browned bits.
- Add the lentils and mushrooms. Stir in the lentils and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
- Simmer. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste, then add the parsley.
- Make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the plant milk. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened, and add the nutritional yeast and nutmeg. Season to taste.
- Assemble . Layer the potatoes in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Add half the sauce, followed by the eggplant, the remaining sauce, and the béchamel.
- Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake the vegan moussaka for 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Broil for a minute or two if desired.
Tips for Success
- Cut the vegetables into even sizes . From the eggplant and potatoes to the onions, it’s important to cut all of the vegetables into even sizes to ensure that they cook evenly.
- Get a head start . There are a lot of components to this vegan moussaka recipe, so if you’d like, you can start some of them up to 2 days before. You can roast the potatoes and eggplant, cook the lentils, or make either of the sauces.
- Don’t skip salting and squeezing the eggplant . This step helps remove excess moisture from the eggplant slices.
What to Serve With Moussaka
I love pairing this vegan moussaka with a thick slice of crusty olive bread to soak up any extra sauce. You can also serve it with no knead bread , vegan dinner roll s, or focaccia . This Greek cucumber salad would make a refreshing side dish for moussaka too.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover vegan moussaka can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, use the microwave or warm up larger portions in a 350ºF oven until heated through.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
For longer storage, you can freeze individual portions of this vegan moussaka in airtight containers for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then follow the reheating instructions above.
More Vegan Casserole Recipes
- Vegan Enchilada Casserole
- Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Vegan Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Ingredients
For the eggplant
- 2 medium eggplants , sliced thin into rounds
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt , 15 grams
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , 15 ml
- 1 tablespoon oregano , 8 grams
- ½ teaspoon pepper , 1.2 grams
For the potatoes
- 3 large Yukon gold potatoes , sliced thin into rounds
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil , 22 ml
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt , 9 grams
- 1 tablespoons oregano , 8 grams
- ½ teaspoon pepper , 1.2 grams
For the lentils
- 1 cup dry green lentils , 192 grams
- 2 cups water , 473 ml
- ¼ teaspoon salt , 2 grams
- A pinch of pepper
Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil , 22 ml
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- ½ teaspoon salt , 3 grams
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon , 2 grams
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg , 1 gram
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme , 2 grams
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano , 3 grams
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste , 42 grams
- ¼ cup dry red wine , 59 ml
- 8 ounces mushrooms, very finely chopped by hand or in a food processor , 227 grams
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes , 794 grams
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup chopped fresh parsley , 45 grams
Bechamel
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter , 56 grams
- ¼ cup flour , 30 grams
- 2 ⅓ cups plant-milk , 544 ml
- ½ cup nutritional yeast , 30 grams
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the eggplant
- Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on 2 baking sheets and sprinkle with salt. Let the eggplant sit for 30 minute to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Remove the eggplant slices from the baking sheets and squeeze the water from the slices. Dry the baking sheets and line them with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the eggplant with olive oil, oregano, and pepper.
- Spread the eggplant out in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets and bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For the potatoes
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, oregano, and pepper.
- Spread the potatoes in a single layer over the second baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through (I just bake them right alongside the eggplant).
To make the lentils (do this while the veggies are roasting)
- Combine the lentils, water, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils are just tender. Drain any excess liquid.
Make the sauce (do this while the lentils are cooking)
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion, season with salt, and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, and oregano to the saucepan. Saute for a few seconds. Add the tomato paste and saute for 30 seconds or until darkened in color.
- Add the wine and cook for 1 minute or until the wine has evaporated. Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally, knocking any brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.
- Stir the lentils and mushrooms into the sauce. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley.
To make the bechamel (do this while the sauce is simmering)
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking continuously.
- Gradually whisk in the plant milk until smooth. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the nutritional yeast and nutmeg. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as desired. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Assemble
- Liberally grease a 9X13-inch casserole dish and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) if you turned it off after roasting the eggplant and potatoes.
- Arrange the roasted potato slices in the bottom of the casserole dish. It’s ok to have some overlap. Top the potatoes with half of the sauce. Arrange the roasted eggplant over the sauce. It’s ok to have some overlap. Spread the remaining sauce over the eggplant. Spread the bechamel over the final sauce layer.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
- If you want your bechamel to get an extra golden brown hue to it, pop the casserole under the broiler for a minute or two at the end of the baking time.
