Nicoise Salad (French Salad with Tuna) Recipe
Nicoise Salad is a classic French dish that combines tender baby potatoes, crisp green beans, fresh tomatoes, crunchy romaine lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, briny black olives, and chunky tuna, all brought together with a zesty lemon Dijon vinaigrette. This vibrant and satisfying salad is perfect as a light lunch or dinner and showcases a variety of textures and flavors for a refreshing Mediterranean-inspired meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling and No-Cook
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 8 baby/chat potatoes
- 120g (4 oz) green beans, trimmed
- 2 tomatoes, each cut into 8–10 wedges
- 1/2 baby cos lettuce (romaine), cut or torn into large bite-size pieces
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
- 3/4 cup (100g) unpitted black olives
- 250–300g (8–10 oz) canned chunk tuna in oil, drained and broken into large chunks
Lemon Nicoise Dressing
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a jar, combine lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt, Dijon mustard, and black pepper. Shake well until the ingredients emulsify to create a bright and tangy vinaigrette.
- Cook Potatoes: Boil the baby potatoes in salted water until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, slice each potato into halves for easy layering and serving.
- Blanch Green Beans: Boil the trimmed green beans in water until they are tender but still crisp, or to your preferred doneness. Immediately drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process and maintain their bright green color. Pat dry with a towel to remove excess moisture.
- Assemble the Salad: Spread the chopped cos lettuce evenly on a large wide serving plate. Artfully arrange the sliced potatoes, blanched green beans, tomato wedges, black olives, and tuna chunks on top of the lettuce. Place the quartered hard-boiled eggs strategically around the salad. Finally, drizzle the prepared lemon Nicoise dressing evenly over all the ingredients just before serving to keep everything fresh and vibrant.
Notes
- Note 1: Baby/chat potatoes are small, tender potatoes ideal for boiling and salads.
- Note 2: Use unpitted black olives for better flavor and ease of use in the salad; adjust quantity based on taste preference.
- Note 3: Choose high-quality canned chunk tuna in oil for richness; drain well but retain some oil to enhance flavor.
- To save time, you can prepare the dressing in advance and refrigerate it for up to two days.
- For a lighter version, substitute tuna oil with water-packed tuna and reduce the olive oil in the dressing.
Keywords: Nicoise salad, French salad, tuna salad, Mediterranean salad, potato salad, healthy lunch, easy salad recipe
