Nicoise Salad (French Salad with Tuna) Recipe
A classic French Nicoise Salad featuring tender baby potatoes, crisp green beans, ripe tomatoes, crunchy romaine lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, black olives, and flaky tuna chunks, all brought together with a zesty lemon Dijon dressing. This vibrant, hearty salad is perfect as a light lunch or dinner, showcasing fresh ingredients and balanced flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 8 baby/chat potatoes
- 120g (4 oz) green beans, trimmed
- 2 tomatoes, each cut into 8–10 wedges
- 1/2 baby cos lettuce (romaine), cut or torn into large bite-size pieces
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
- ¾ cup (100g) unpitted black olives
- 250–300g (8–10 oz) canned chunk tuna in oil, drained and broken into large chunks
Lemon Nicoise Dressing
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare dressing: Combine lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a jar. Shake well until the dressing emulsifies and is well blended.
- Cook potatoes: Boil the baby potatoes in salted water until they are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, slice the potatoes into halves.
- Blanch green beans: Boil the trimmed green beans in salted water until tender but still crisp, approximately 3-4 minutes. Immediately drain and refresh them under cold running water to quickly stop the cooking process and retain their vibrant green color. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.
- Assemble the salad: On a large, wide serving plate, lay out the cos lettuce leaves as a base. Scatter and layer the cooked potato halves, blanched green beans, tomato wedges, black olives, and chunks of tuna artistically around the plate. Finally, place the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top. Drizzle the prepared lemon Nicoise dressing over the entire salad just before serving to keep the ingredients fresh and vibrant.
Notes
- Use baby or new potatoes for a tender texture and attractive presentation.
- Opt for good quality black olives such as Niçoise or Kalamata for authentic flavor.
- Drain the canned tuna well but keep it moist and chunky to complement the salad textures.
- For best results, serve immediately after dressing to retain freshness and avoid sogginess.
- This salad can be served as a light main course or a side dish.
Keywords: Nicoise salad, French salad, tuna salad, potato salad, green beans, lemon dressing, healthy salad, easy lunch
