You can’t go wrong by serving this classic French salad when you are trying to impress someone. It’s hearty enough for an entrée, with an array of colorful, filling, and decadent ingredients.

Ingredients:

Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 large lemons
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salad:
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 pound red bliss potatoes
1 pound mesclun salad greens, washed and dried
12 ounces canned tuna, drained
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
1 large red tomato, cut into quarters
1 cup peeled and diced English cucumbers
5 slices red onion
1/2 cup niçoise or kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

For the lemon-mustard vinaigrette: Combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Cover and shake well. Let the flavors blend for at least an hour before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

For the salad: Bring a 4-quart saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and run under cold water. Set aside to cool.

Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and add a dash of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, run under cold water, and set aside to cool. Cut into bite-size pieces.

Line a large serving dish with the mesclun greens. In a small bowl mix the tuna with the olive oil and lemon juice. Place the tuna in the middle of the greens. Around the tuna arrange the eggs, tomato, cucumbers, onion, olives, and capers. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.