Harvest Niçoise Salad
Tender butter lettuce topped with tuna, green beans, tomatoes and more, the Nicoise Salad is as healthy as it is tasty! 
I’ve seen pictures of Niçoise Salads my whole life—and happily I am finally getting around to making one. Hailing from the town of Nice, it’s a French classic that chef Gordon Ramsey once called “the finest summer salad of all.” (source: BBC Good Food).
The salad isn’t difficult to make, especially if you use canned tuna. Happily this is considered perfectly appropriate, as it’s both economical and efficient! Hey, I’ve even been known to buy boiled, peeled eggs at the grocery store in a pinch (shhh)!
Step by Step Overview
You start by cooking potatoes and green beans, separately, until just tender.
Then you gather the ingredients and halve the cherry tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs.
Finally, you whisk the dressing ingredients and assemble the salad.
How easy is that!
Getting Creative
If you browse Nicoise Salad recipes online you will see a fair amount of variation. While certain ingredients like tuna, green beans, eggs and potatoes are almost universal, there are a lot of different add-ons.
Yes, one of the nice things about a Nicoise Salad is that it is perfectly acceptable–even expected–to include additional seasonal vegetables. This time I added cucumbers—which I personally wouldn’t do again since I felt they didn’t stack up flavor wise. But next time I may go with artichokes, sliced mini-peppers and perhaps a spoonful of capers!
Other ideas include Snap Peas, Radishes, Shaved Carrots, Bell peppers and Red Onions. 
Yes, There’s Anchovy in the Dressing
The dressing contains a little bit of mashed anchovy, which adds a nice umami flavor. I know you may think you don’t like anchovies—but a little in a dressing is different than finding them stretched out across your pizza.
Omit them if you must. But let me tell you this–many avowed anchovy haters have unknowingly eaten my anchovy enhanced Caesar Salad for decades–and loved it.
Yes, yes, I know. Now that I’ve spilled the beans, you’re not coming to my house for dinner anymore.
What do I serve with a Nicoise Salad?
Since this salad has plenty of protein, carbs and veggies, nothing else is really needed to make a complete meal—isn’t that great! But if you are serving especially hungry guests, a crusty bread is always welcome. French bread, of course.
In terms of wine (you weren’t thinking of serving a French salad with beer were you?), rosé seems to be the all around favorite–though some recommendations go as bold as a Pinot Noir.
And just kidding about the beer! I’d drink a nice wheat beer with this in a heartbeat! 
Niçoise Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 8 ounces yellow potatoes about 4 medium
- 8 ounces fresh green beans
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup pitted Niçoise or Kalamata olives
- 1 head Boston lettuce
- 2 cans tuna in oil drained
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine may sub lemon or additional wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 anchovies mashed (or about ½ teaspoon anchovy paste)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped herbs basil, thyme, tarragon or blend
- 1 garlic clove pressed in garlic press
- 1 shallot small, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Cut potatoes in halves, thirds or quarters, depending on size. Boil in a medium saucepan until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool in cold water.
- In a second saucepan, boil green beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool in cold water.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients (or place in a shaker jar and shake) until emulsified.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs.
- Clean and spin dry the lettuce, tear and set as a bottom layer on an oval serving plate. Drizzle with dressing.
- Arrange the other salad ingredients on top of the lettuce and drizzle with remaining dressing (or serve on side if you prefer).
Nutrition
Get More Fabulous French Recipes:
-
- Beet Goat Cheese Savory Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Green Beans with Crispy Onions from Palatable Pastime
- Haricot Vert Saladfrom Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Nicoise Salad from Art of Natural Living
- Piperade from Magical Ingredients
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I love me a Nicoise salad. They’re one of my favorites for summer dinner. Especially when I can plan ahead and blanch the beans and cook the potatoes on the weekend. I may have to add this to my menu.
I’ve been so loving summer dinner salads this year Christie!
Lovely salad! Everything to make a complete meal is in there! Wonderful and delicious meal.
I am in love with entree salads right now!
It is the perfect quintessential summer salad! My version looks quite a bit like yours… and I always use canned tuna, because that’s the way I was taught in Provence. Some people can get very testy about the authenticity of this particular dish. I’ve seen bar fights start over the use of potatoes versus not using potatoes! Me? I like it all, and if I like it, I make it. 🙂
Hope you are up and around and doing well!
Not perfect yet but getting better David. Thanks.
I’d drink a beer with this too, although I’d prefer rose. Or champagne! Anyway, this is one of my favorite salads — tons of flavor, and so pretty. Yours is beautiful — thanks.
Thanks John. Nice to know there are other equal opportunity drinkers out there!
I love your salad servers! They are stunning. And simple salads like this one are great for summer suppers.
They are actually from somewhere in Africa Tandy, don’t remember where.
I recently made my first nicoise salad myself and I actually decorated the eggs with anchovies. Soo good!
I would be all over that Karen!
There’s supposed to be a bit of anchovy in Caesar Salad dressing too, but most people would never know unless you told them. Your salad looks beautiful and I wish I could dive right into that plate of deliciousness.
My family just plugs their ears and goes “la la la” at this point!
Reall a grwat summer salad
I’m all about the main course salads this summer!