Featured Recipe
Spiced Pita Niçoise Salad
By Kate
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A reimagined Niçoise salad with crisp, smoky spiced pita pieces replacing traditional croutons. Bright vegetables paired with lightly blanched green beans and robust tuna. Citrus-herb vinaigrette with fresh basil and oregano. The pita seasoning leans on smoked paprika and chili powder for warmth. Uses artichoke hearts instead of piquant capers and kalamata olives instead of black. Fresh lemon juice provides the acidity balance. Quick roasting crisps pita perfectly without drying. A hearty salad combining textures and layers of savory and tart notes.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
12 min
Total:
37 min
Serves:
4 servings
salad
vegetarian
quick meal
healthy
Introduction
Niçoise salad, but not as you know it. Tossed veggies, green beans just barely tender, snap the bite right back at you. Tuna’s chunked up, moist but packed. The twist? Pitas spiced with smoked paprika and ancho chili, oven-toasted to crunchy shards, lend heat and crunch. No mayo or heavy dressings, just lemon and robust olive oil boosted with fresh herbs—basil, oregano—vegetables bright, fresh. Replacing capers with artichoke hearts, olives swap to kalamata for deeper tang. Practical, fast, no faffing. Roasting pitas is about timing: listen for gentle crackles, edges turn golden but don’t burn. The salad holds together, crisp, layered, aromatic.
Ingredients
Spiced Pita Crisps
- 3 pita breads 16 cm diameter
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1.5 ml smoked paprika
- 1.5 ml ancho chili powder
- 1 ml ground coriander
- 1.5 ml kosher salt
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 small English cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 romaine lettuce heart, torn
- 150 g fresh green beans, trimmed and blanched
- 100 g kalamata olives, pitted and drained
- 2 tins (140 g each) solid white tuna in water, drained
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 50 ml fresh lemon juice
- 35 g fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 25 g fresh oregano leaves, chopped
- 50 g marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
Salad
About the ingredients
Pitas must be fresh, pliable before toasting. Older pitas tend to crumble too easily or dry out without getting crisp. Use smoked paprika for depth; if unavailable, regular paprika plus a dash of chipotle powder works well but adjust chili accordingly. Ancho chili adds warmth, not aggressive heat, so balance with your taste. Coriander gives subtle earthiness, but cumin can replace if needed—use less, as it’s more potent. Green beans are blanched briefly, then shocked in ice water to stop cooking and fix color—avoid overcooking or they get limp. Tuna canned in water is better than oil to keep salad light, but oil-packed offers richness if desired. Fresh herbs are essential; dried won’t cut it here, would turn the salad dull. Artichoke hearts add tanginess and texture — macerated sun-dried tomatoes can substitute but tweak salt and acid to compensate.
Method
Spiced Pita Crisps
- Preheat oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Position rack in middle. Baking pitas in too low heat makes them leathery, too high burns edges fast.
- Cut pita breads into quarters. Place on baking sheet with outer sides up so surface crisps.
- Whisk olive oil with paprika, chili powder, ground coriander, and salt. Should smell smoky & earthy, not bitter.
- Brush pita pieces with spiced oil on each side. Don't drench or they absorb too much oil and get soggy.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until edges brown and crispen. Listen for light crackling sounds. Rotate halfway for even toasting.
- Remove from oven; cool until crisp and snap when broken. Break into bite-size chunks.
- In large bowl combine tomatoes, scallions, cucumber, bell pepper, and torn romaine.
- Blanch green beans in boiling salted water about 2 minutes until tender-crisp. Immediately shock in ice water to keep color and stop cooking.
- Drain green beans well, pat dry with towel, add to bowl.
- Add olives, drained tuna (flake it gently to avoid drying), and chopped artichokes.
- In small bowl whisk olive oil with lemon juice. Season dressing lightly with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Add fresh basil and oregano to dressing; toss.
- Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss gently to combine, preserving texture and preventing mushiness.
- Add spiced pita crisps last. Toss lightly again to distribute but avoid breaking crisps.
- Taste for seasoning. Adjust salt, pepper, acid. Serve immediately to keep pita crunchy.
Salad assembly
Technique Tips
Oven roasting pita crisps takes attention. Keep an eye near the 10-minute mark; edges start golden and smell toasty, that’s the cue to pull. Overdone pita tastes burnt, underdone stays chewy. Brush oil-spice mix evenly but not soaking; excess oil weighs pita down, ruins crunch. Blanch fresh green beans in salted boiling water; 2-minute max, then plunge immediately into ice water to preserve snap and vivid color. When combining salad, add fragile ingredients last — olives and tuna lump nicely but toss gently to keep bite. Dressing is lemon heavy, drizzle while tossing well so all parts are coated but not drenched. Serve immediately after adding pita pieces, or crisps become soggy. If preparing ahead, keep pita dry, toss in just before serving.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Pitas should be fresh and pliable. Stale pitas turn into mush when baking. Cuts shouldn’t be thick. Thin pieces crisp better. Flip halfway.
- 💡 Big blast of color means fresh veggies used here. Tomatoes, peppers, greens—so vibrant. Rinse produce well. Dry off excess water before mixing.
- 💡 Green beans need attention. Max two minutes in boiling water. Shock in ice bath. Keeps bright green. Overcooked means limp, gray beans.
- 💡 Dressing should be balanced. Too much lemon can overpower. Start with less, taste as you go. Add herbs in dressing before hitting the salad.
- 💡 Serving immediately is key. Pita crisps get soggy if left too long. If prepping ahead, store pitas separately. Mix just before serving.
Kitchen Wisdom
Can I use different olives?
Yes, swap kalamata for other types, like green. Adjust acidity if using brine-heavy olives. Keep taste in mind.
Best way to store leftover salad?
Store greens and dressing separately. Keeps freshness longer. Pita crisps stay crisp if sealed properly.
What if pita stays chewy?
Not enough heat or too much oil. Keep an eye while baking. Don’t let them steam; that leads to sogginess.
Can I replace tuna?
Use canned salmon or chickpeas, adds texture. Adjust seasoning if you switch. Light and protein-packed still.
