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Dairy Free
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Nut Free
How to make a Nicoise Salad
Nicoise Salad is a French-composed salad made with fresh tuna, boiled eggs, potatoes, chopped greens, tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, and Nicoise olives.
Table of Contents
What is a Nicoise Salad?
You may have seen it, but didn’t know the name of it. Salad Nicoise (pronounced nee-suahz) is a French version of an American cobb salad. But unlike the cobb salad, which is usually made with chicken, avocado, and bacon, the Nicoise salad is made with tuna or anchovies, olives, beans, and fork-tender potatoes with an oil-based dressing.
Niçoise salad originated from Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea. According to Wikipedia, Nicoise salad was first described as “simple food for poor people”, and at first was just made with tuna or anchovies and olive oil. Later on, in Nice, other ingredients were added.
The salad in France is mostly made of raw ingredients, but it was modified here in America to adapt to our taste buds with the cooked potatoes and veggies over lettuce.
Green beans may not be everyone’s favorite, but the way you cook them might change your opinion. Also, they are filled with vitamin K, calcium, and folate.
What do I need to make this salad?
Tuna contains omega-3 fatty acids and supports heart health.
Hard-boiled eggs are rich in protein and zinc.
Potatoes contain antioxidants and fiber.
Mixed greens give your body vitmains A and C as well as folate and calcium.
Cherry tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which supports heart and skin health.
English cucumber gives your body antioxidants and vitamin K.
Green beans are rich in calcium and B vitamins.
Along with those ingredients, you will need kalamata and nicoise olives.
For the dressing, you will need:
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- shallot
- basil
- oregano
- Diojn mustard
- honey
- salt
- ground black pepper
More unique veggie recipe ideas you’ll enjoy:
A Simple Traditional Herring Salad with Layered Vegetables is a Slavic family favorite!
These Easy Russian Chicken and Cabbage Rolls with Fresh Veggies (Golubtsi) make a nutritious lunch!
How to make a Nicoise Salad
Equipment
- whisk
- Pot
- Colander
Ingredients
- 16 oz tuna loin, or steak, grilled or cooked
- 1½ cups tuna, oil-packed
- 3 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, & sliced
- 3 medium potatoes, red or yellow, boiled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 cups mixed greens, choice of any greens you like
- 10-15 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 cups English cucumber, sliced
- 2 cups green beans, ends trimmed
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- ¼ cup nicoise olives
Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ½ Tbsp shallot, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp basil, freshly chopped
- 1 tsp oregano, freshly chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients together. Set aside.¼ cup fresh lemon juice, ¾ cup olive oil, ½ Tbsp shallot,, 1 Tbsp basil,, 1 tsp oregano,, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1 pinch ground black pepper
- Place potatoes in a medium sized pot along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. When cooled a bit, cut into bite-sized pieces.3 medium potatoes,, ½ tsp salt
- While potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the green beans. Trim ends and place green beans in a medium sized pot and cover with water. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and bring water to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes or until beans are bright green. Strain beans into a colander and immediately run them under cold water to stop the cooking.2 cups green beans,, ½ tsp salt
- Arrange lettuce in a bowl. Add tuna, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, green beans, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and nicoise olives to the bowl, then drizzle the desired amount of dressing on top.16 oz tuna loin,, 3 eggs,, 3 medium potatoes,, 6 cups mixed greens,, 10-15 cherry tomatoes,, 2 cups English cucumber,, 2 cups green beans,, ¼ cup kalamata olives, ¼ cup nicoise olives, 1½ cups tuna,