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Niçoise Salad: The Magic of Farm-to-Table Flavor

Niçoise Salad

A classic, colorful salad featuring tuna, potatoes, green beans, eggs, tomatoes, olives, onion, lettuce, and a bold Dijon vinaigrette. Serve it at room temperature or slightly chilled for a satisfying main course or generous side dish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 8 ounces Small waxy potatoes, such as fingerling or new potatoes, halved
  • 8 ounces Fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 4 eggs Large eggs
  • 2 5-ounce cans Tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, drained
  • 2 cups Ripe cherry or plum tomatoes, halved or cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives
  • 6 fillets Anchovy fillets, optional but traditional
  • 1/2 small onion Small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 cups Tender lettuce leaves, such as butter lettuce or Bibb
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley or basil, chopped
Vinaigrette
  • 1/3 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Red-wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 small clove Garlic clove, finely minced or grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Whisk olive oil, red-wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust the vinegar or salt if needed.
  2. Place halved potatoes in a saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10–12 minutes, until fork-tender but intact; drain, steam-dry briefly, and toss with a small amount of vinaigrette while warm.
  3. Blanch trimmed green beans in boiling salted water for 3–4 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer them to ice water, then drain and dry thoroughly.
  4. Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 9–10 minutes; cool in ice water, peel, and halve or quarter.
  5. Arrange lettuce on a large platter or divide it among plates. Add potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, tuna, eggs, olives, onion, and anchovies in separate sections.
  6. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and finish with parsley or basil. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled without aggressively tossing the delicate ingredients.

Notes

Dress the potatoes while warm so they absorb the vinaigrette. Keep the ingredients arranged separately until serving to protect their texture. Fresh tuna may replace canned tuna; use about 12 ounces of tuna steaks and sear for approximately 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare.