Niçoise Salad
After traveling to Paris, I became obsessed with niçoise salads. They’re fresh, crunchy, packed with nutrients, and really fill you up! If I see a niçoise salad on a menu, I order it.
This salad can be served in so many different ways and it’s so fun to see how each restaurant prepares their niçoises. (P.S if you ever go to Norma’s at the Parker in Palm Springs you HAVE to get their Nice Salad, their take on a niçoise is SO unique)
But we’re busy people! And there are a lot of components to this salad, so when I’m at home, I like to prepare it like a nourish bowl and lay out each ingredient when serving.
Tuna is traditional in a niçoise salad but you can also add salmon, chicken, or simply omit if you are vegetarian/vegan. Bell peppers are also traditional, but I don’t really care for bell peppers so that’s why you won’t see any in this salad, but you can totally add them in if that’s what you like! The beauty of cooking is marrying ingredients you enjoy eating.
I recommend reading through all the ingredients/instructions before cooking so you can get an idea of all the moving parts.
Niçoise Salad (serves 2-4)
Ingredients:
for the salad:
1 bag fingerling potatoes, (you can also use red potatoes, but fingerling ones get nice and crispy!)
1 bag green beans, trimmed
hard boiled eggs (1 egg/person)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
½ red onion, sliced
1 lb. ahi tuna (or canned tuna if you’re in a pinch!)
½ cup green olives, pitted
lettuce (little gems, spring mix, spinach, whatever you’re feeling)
handful of chopped parsley
for the dressing:
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey
Instructions:
*before making this dish i recommend hard boiling your eggs beforehand! here’s how.
preheat oven to 400°f. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. slice fingerling potatoes in half lengthwise. add to baking sheet, drizzle with avocado oil (or any high heat oil like coconut oil or ghee), sprinkle with salt & pepper and mix to combine. bake for 30-35 minutes until crispy and golden
while potatoes are cooking, it’s time to prep the green beans. add water to a saucepan filling ~½ way and add a pinch of salt. bring to a boil then add in green beans. cook for 2-4 minutes. drain and immediately plunge into an ice bath to cool, then drain excess water and pat dry
prep all your salad ingredients - chop parsley, onions, tomatoes, and hard boiled eggs and set aside (think taco bar style here)
make the salad dressing by combining salad dressing ingredients and whisk to combine
bring a large skillet to medium-high heat. coat tuna in olive oil and season with salt & pepper. once pan is hot, add in olive oil and sear tuna for ~2 minutes per side. once tuna is cooked to your liking, remove from pan and set on cutting board and slice tuna
once you potatoes are crispyyyy and golden, it’s time to assemble! add lettuce to bowl and layer with each salad ingredient, showcasing everything on the plate/bowl then drizzle with dressing
serve & enjoy!
notes:
you can totally add anchovies or capers to the salad if you’re into that taste (soooo good)
this salad is colorful, fresh, and filling, making it great for a summer dinner party or gathering!
I want to see YOUR take on a niçoise salad!!! make sure to tag @finewithfood when making any of my recipes!!
