Classic Niçoise Salad Recipe
This Classic Niçoise Salad recipe is loaded up with fresh grilled tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables in a tasty mustard-based vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
- ½ cup of olive oil
For the Salad:
- 2 pounds red potatoes
- 1 pound haricot verts
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 pound fresh tuna, cut into fillets
- 3 heads Boston bibb, torn into 2” pieces
- 4 quartered Roma tomatoes
- 5 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and cut in half
- 15- ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
- ½ peeled and julienne red onion
- 1 cup pitted Niçoise olives
- 10-12 anchovies
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Vinaigrette: Whisk together all the ingredients in a medium size bowl until combined. Chill it until it is ready to be served.
- Salad: In a large pot of boiling salted water, add in the potatoes and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until al dente. Remove the potatoes and shock them in an ice bath immediately to cool them down. Remove from the water and chill until ready to serve.
- Next, add in the green beans to the boiling salted water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until al dente. Remove them and shock in an ice bath immediately. Remove from the water and chill until ready to serve.
- Season the tuna on all sides with salt and pepper and set on a plate.
- Heat a grill pan over high heat and add in the olive oil. Add in the tuna and turn the heat down to medium-high and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the desired internal temperature is achieved. Remove the tuna and chill until ready to serve.
- Place the romaine lettuce in a bowl or large serving platter and evenly add on the cooked red potatoes, green beans, cooked tuna, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, artichokes, red onions, olives, and anchovies.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this Niçoise salad up to 1 day before. Just be sure it is not yet mixed with the dressing. In addition, it would be best to keep the ingredients separate.
How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator undressed for up to 3 days. This will not freeze. The salad could last 1 to 2 days longer if you keep the topping ingredients store separately.
In addition to Boston bibb and butter leaf lettuce you can use other lettuces like spring mix or Romaine.
It is ok to serve the tuna at any internal temperature.
Optional ingredients you can add to the vinaigrette are 1 tablespoon each of fresh basil, thyme, or tarragon, or ½ peeled and small diced shallot.
Al dente means to the tooth. The vegetables should have a gentle firmness to them.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 15gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 215mgPotassium: 481mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1860IUVitamin C: 20.9mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1.8mg