We rustled up this salad for lunch yesterday, instead of a traditional Tuna Nicoise we went for blue cheese instead – a very tasty combination. My daughter made the dressing, a red wine vinaigrette (which we’ve called All Blacks Dressing – see below!)

Ingredients

• Couple of handfuls of washed spinach leaves
• Cherry tomatoes (halved)
• Green beans (trimmed)
• Blue cheese (crumbled) or tin of tuna
• 2 eggs (soft or hard boiled)

Dressing for blue cheese version: 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• Salt and pepper

Dressing for tuna version:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper

Method

• Bring two small saucepans of water to the boil, drop the trimmed beans into one and simmer for just a couple of minutes, drain and pop into a bowl of cold water – this blanching process gives you a crisp green bean for your salad.

In the other pan, gently boil the eggs for 4 minutes – you want the white completely cooked but the yolk runny.

While the eggs are cooking, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients, you should have a runny emulsion, add seasoning to taste.

Drain the eggs and run under the cold tap. Gently peel.

In a bowl gently dress the spinach leaves, and then transfer to your serving dish, then drain and pat dry the beans, dress and layer over the spinach, do the same with the tomatoes.

Sprinkle the blue cheese over the top and finally the halved soft boiled eggs. Finish with a little ground pepper and sea salt.