Description
A classic French Nicoise Salad featuring tender baby potatoes, crisp green beans, juicy tomatoes, crisp romaine lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, black olives, and rich canned tuna. Tossed in a tangy lemon and Dijon mustard dressing, this salad is a refreshing and satisfying meal perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
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
Dressing Ingredients
- 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 black pepper
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: Combine lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a jar. Shake well until the dressing is emulsified and set aside.
- Cook Potatoes: Boil the baby potatoes in salted water until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, slice the potatoes in half.
- Blanch Green Beans: Boil the trimmed green beans in salted water until they reach desired tenderness, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately drain and refresh the beans under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with a towel.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large serving bowl or platter, arrange the lettuce leaves as a base. Add the cooled halved potatoes, blanched green beans, tomato wedges, black olives, and quartered hard-boiled eggs. Scatter the drained chunks of tuna evenly over the top.
- Toss and Serve: Drizzle the prepared dressing over the arranged salad. Gently toss everything together or serve as is to preserve the presentation. Serve immediately and enjoy a fresh and hearty French Nicoise Salad.
Notes
- Note 1: Using baby or new potatoes keeps the salad light and tender.
- Note 2: Black olives add a salty depth; unpitted olives are preferred for ease but pitted can be used as well.
- Note 3: Use high-quality canned chunk tuna in oil for rich flavor and texture; drain well to avoid sogginess.
- Hard-boil eggs carefully to avoid grey rings around yolks—about 9-10 minutes boiling time is ideal.
