Niçoise Salad

By
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
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Updated on 04/11/22
Niçoise Salad

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
577 Calories
41g Fat
22g Carbs
31g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 577
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 52%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 226mg 75%
Sodium 840mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 19mg 97%
Calcium 126mg 10%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 830mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The Niçoise salad is an elegant, composed salad featuring tuna, potatoes, hard-boiled egg, olives, and green beans.

Anchovies are another key component, but I know not everyone feels the same way about them. As such, I've included the anchovies in the dressing where they won't be visible, but you'll still get their flavor.

You could, of course, serve whole anchovy fillets atop the salad, as is traditionally done, or leave them out altogether if you must.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1/2 pound white potatoes, scrubbed

  • 1/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

  • 4 cups salad greens, baby greens, or larger greens, torn into bite-sized pieces

  • 1 large (12-ounce) can tuna, drained

  • 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

  • 2/3 cup brine-cured pitted black olives, such as Kalamata

  • 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

For the Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 cup aged red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

  • 3 to 4 anchovy fillets

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Niçoise Salad ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Boil the potatoes for about 4 minutes.

    potatoes in a pot with water

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, then slice them in half. (Leave the water in the pot, though; you'll use it for blanching the green beans in a few moments.)

    potato on a spoon

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, with a bit of olive oil until it's quite hot, then place the sliced potatoes in the pan, cut-side down.

    potatoes and oil in a skillet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Sear for a minute or two until the potatoes are lightly browned, then remove them from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Toss with kosher salt and set aside.

    fried potatoes in a bowl

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the green beans. Blanch for 2 minutes.

    green beans in a pot with water

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. Remove with tongs to a bowl of ice water to shock them and keep them from cooking further. Drain and dry them with paper towels and set aside.

    beans in ice water

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  8. Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and anchovies in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. (The anchovies are salty, so you might not need much additional salt.)

    Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, anchovies and chopped chives in a blender

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  9. Place the salad greens in a bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to coat. Arrange the greens on 4 serving plates or 1 large platter. Distribute the potato halves equally, with the browned sides facing up.

    potatoes and lettuce on a plate

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  10. Toss the green beans, olives, and tomatoes with enough additional dressing to lightly coat them, and arrange them on the salad.

    vegetables in a bowl, dressing in a bowl

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  11. Divide the tuna and place it in the center of plates. Arrange the hard-boiled egg quarters, then garnish with the fresh parsley and serve.

    Niçoise Salad on a plate

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Note: Instead of the vinaigrette, you could serve a Niçoise salad with garlic aioli.

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