Salade Niçoise
Salade Niçoise is a bright, satisfying composed salad with tender potatoes, crisp green beans, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, rich tuna, and perfectly cooked eggs. A sharp mustard vinaigrette ties everything together, giving each bite the sunny, savory character of the Mediterranean coast.
Ingredients
Salade
- 250 gbaby potatoes
- 2 largeeggs
- 150 ggreen beans, trimmed
- 200 gripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 small head (about 100 g)little gem lettuce, leaves separated
- 160 gtuna in olive oil, drained
- 4anchovy fillets
- 60 gNiçoise olives or small black olives
- 50 gsmall red onion, thinly sliced
Vinaigrette
- 10 gDijon mustard
- 20 mlred wine vinegar
- 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove (about 3 g)garlic, finely grated
- 2 gfine sea salt
- 1 gblack pepper
Instructions
- 1
Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add the baby potatoes and cook for 12-15 minutes until just tender when pierced with a knife. In the last 8 minutes of the potato cooking time, gently lower in the eggs. In the last 3 minutes, add the green beans. This staggered cooking keeps everything perfectly done and saves time.
- 2
While the potatoes cook, make the vinaigrette: whisk together the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, grated garlic, fine sea salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until lightly emulsified. A large bowl makes it easy to dress the potatoes first, which helps them absorb flavor.
- 3
Prepare the remaining salad elements: cut the tomatoes into wedges, separate the lettuce leaves, and thinly slice the red onion. If the onion tastes very sharp, rinse it briefly under cold water and pat dry.
- 4
Drain the cooked eggs and green beans, then transfer both to cold water to stop the cooking and keep the beans bright green. Drain the potatoes. When cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes and peel the eggs. Cut the eggs into halves or quarters.
- 5
Add the warm potatoes to the bowl of vinaigrette and toss gently. Let them sit for 2 minutes so they absorb the dressing. Warm potatoes take on seasoning much better than cold ones.
- 6
Arrange the lettuce on two plates or a serving platter. Top with the dressed potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, red onion, chunks of tuna, anchovy fillets, olives, and the eggs. Spoon over any remaining vinaigrette from the bowl.
- 7
Serve immediately, or chill briefly for 5-10 minutes if you prefer the salad cool rather than room temperature. The salad is ready when the potatoes are well seasoned, the beans are still slightly crisp, and the eggs have set yolks without a grey ring.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a beginner-friendly version, using good-quality tuna in oil gives the best flavor and keeps the salad moist.
- •Do not overcook the green beans; they should stay vivid green and retain a little bite.
- •If you want an even more traditional touch, add a few basil leaves or a pinch of fresh thyme at serving.
- •Serve with crusty bread if desired, though the salad is substantial enough on its own.
Background
Salade Niçoise comes from Nice on the French Riviera and is one of the best-known dishes of Provençal cooking. Its composition has long inspired debate, but core elements such as tomatoes, olives, anchovies or tuna, and eggs are widely associated with the classic style. Modern versions often include cooked vegetables like green beans and potatoes, especially in bistro-style presentations.
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