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Salad Niçoise: Farm-to-Table Made Fancy

Salad Niçoise: Farm-to-Table Made Fancy

A classic composed Salad Niçoise with potatoes, green beans, eggs, tomatoes, tuna, olives, lettuce, herbs, and a mustard-red-wine vinaigrette. Serve it at room temperature or lightly chilled as a complete main-course meal.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 1 pound Small waxy potatoes, such as baby Yukon Gold or fingerlings
  • 8 ounces Fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 4 eggs Large eggs
  • 2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved, or medium ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
  • 1 small head or 5–6 cups Small head butter lettuce or mixed salad greens
  • 2 5-ounce cans Oil-packed tuna, drained
  • 1/2 cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives
  • 4 fillets Anchovy fillets
  • 1/4 small onion Small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley or basil, chopped
  • To taste Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vinaigrette
  • 1/3 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Red-wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove Small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried Fresh thyme, finely chopped, or dried thyme

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Whisk the red-wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme together. Slowly whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing is emulsified, then taste and adjust the vinegar or salt as needed.
  2. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10–15 minutes, depending on their size, until fork-tender; drain, cool slightly, halve or quarter, and toss while warm with 1–2 tablespoons of vinaigrette.
  3. Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10–12 minutes, or simmer gently for about 9–10 minutes; cool in ice water, peel, and halve.
  4. Boil the trimmed green beans in salted water for 3–4 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Transfer them immediately to ice water, drain and pat dry, then toss with a little vinaigrette.
  5. Arrange the lettuce on a large platter, then add the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, eggs, tuna, olives, anchovies, red onion, and herbs in separate sections or a composed pattern. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the salad just before serving.
  6. Let the assembled salad sit for 5–10 minutes so the vegetables absorb some of the dressing without becoming soggy. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Notes

Oil-packed tuna is the richest and most common choice for a composed version. Niçoise olives are traditional, while Kalamata olives are an accessible substitute. For seared tuna, season tuna steaks and sear them in a very hot skillet for about 1–2 minutes per side for rare centers, then slice.