Classic Niçoise Salad (Printable)
Tuna, fresh vegetables, olives, and tangy vinaigrette on crisp lettuce
# Ingredient List:
→ Vegetables
01 - 7 oz green beans, trimmed
02 - 14 oz baby potatoes, halved
03 - 9 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 small cucumber, sliced
06 - 1 small head butter lettuce or romaine, torn
→ Protein
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 7 oz high-quality canned tuna in olive oil, drained
→ Garnishes
09 - 3 oz Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted
10 - 2 tbsp capers
11 - Fresh parsley, chopped
→ Vinaigrette
12 - 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
13 - 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
14 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
16 - ½ tsp sea salt
17 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
# Steps:
01 - Boil the potatoes in salted water until just tender, about 12–15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
02 - While the potatoes cook, bring another pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch for 2–3 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
03 - Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, cool, and peel. Cut into halves or quarters.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper to make the vinaigrette.
05 - Arrange lettuce on a large platter. Top with potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.
06 - Flake tuna over the vegetables. Add eggs, olives, and capers.
07 - Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Its gorgeous on the platter but surprisingly forgiving, perfect for when you want to impress without the stress
- Everything can be prepped ahead, so you are basically assembling rather than cooking when guests arrive
02 -
- Cold vegetables absorb dressing better than warm ones, so let everything cool to room temperature before assembling
- The salad needs to sit for about 5 minutes after dressing to let the flavors really sing together
03 -
- Reserve a tablespoon of the oil from the tuna can and whisk it into your vinaigrette for extra depth
- Arranging ingredients in sections instead of tossing everything together makes for a stunning presentation