Salad Nicoise Recipe – A French Inspired Treat for the Family

I’ve always loved this Salad Nicoise Recipe.  It’s such a classic and very nutritious with lots of vegetables.  I’ve made this for baby showers, a special summer lunch, and in the kitchen of our rental in Avignon.  Often in the summer, I’ll have leftover potatoes and green beans, so I make an ad-hoc version on the fly.

There are quite a few ingredients, but many are part of my everyday pantry.  I have a small herb garden outside my kitchen, so I just snip fresh herbs.  I always have a can of tuna and jars of capers and Nicoise olives in the cabinet or in the refrigerator.  Eggs, red onions, and lemons are a staple every week.  Tomatoes, green beans, and new potatoes are all in season in September.  So, this recipe is really not difficult to pull together.

Note:  Before you panic by the number of ingredients and steps, take a breath.  I have a short cut.  In August and September green beans are in season, we posted about them a couple of weeks ago here.

Super Tip:  Here’s my short cut.  I plan to use this Salad Nicoise Recipe after a meal that I serve hot with fresh green beans and steamed new potatoes.  Then a couple of days later you can just assemble the ingredients.  If you haven’t noticed yet, I like to “plan for leftovers”.  Then future meals can be prepared faster than if you follow the traditional recipe.

- Laurie Zerga
Founder, Chef-K Inc.

Salad Nicoise Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of green beans, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 4 small new potatoes, quartered
• 1 can albacore tuna (6 ½ oz)
• 2 Tbsp red onion, minced
• 1 Tbsp capers, drained (use the tiny ones)
• 2 ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 head of butter lettuce, washed and leave leaves whole (mixed baby greens may be substituted for the butter lettuce if desired)
• 1/4 cup Nicoise olives (pitted)
• 1 hard-cooked egg, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 1/2 cup of mustard vinaigrette
• 2 Tbsp assorted minced herbs (tarragon, parsley, chives, basil)

Directions

1. Bring a 5-quart pot of water to boil.
2. Drop beans into boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove beans with a slotted spoon, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Reserve pot of water for next step.
4. Drain and set beans aside.
5. In same pot of water, add the potatoes and cook 8-10 minutes. Test with a fork for tenderness.  Drain and set aside.
6. Drain tuna and place in a medium bowl.
7. Add red onion and capers to tuna and mix.
8. Now compose the salad onto individual serving plates or a large platter, which ever the chef prefers. Here’s how to compose the salad for 4 individual serving plates:
9. Place 1/4 of the lettuce on each of 4 plates.
10. Now think of placing each additional ingredient in a different section of the plate.
11. Place 1/4 of the potatoes on each plate.
12. Place two tomato quarters next to the potatoes on each plate.
13. Place 1/4 of the green beans on the other side of potatoes on each plate.
14. Place 1/4 of the tuna mixture next to the green beans on each plate.
15. Drizzle with 1/4 of the dressing all over each plate.
16. Now place the quarter slice of hard egg, and two quarters of lemon on each plate.
17. Toss a 1/4 of the olives over the salad and finally sprinkle 1/4 of the mixed herbs over all.

Salad Nicoise Dressing Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice or wine vinegar
• 4 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
• 1 Clove of garlic, whole and pressed to release juice
• Salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/8 tsp each)
• 1 Tbsp mixed minced herbs (parsley, tarragon, basil, chives)

Salad Nicoise Dressing Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a small jar.
2. Put on lid and shake vigorously.
3. Remove garlic before using the dressing.

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