Niçoise Salad
This classic French salad combines tuna, baby potatoes, crisp green beans, boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and a delicious lemon vinaigrette dressing to make a hearty salad that can be served as a meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup baby Yukon gold or red potatoes
- Sea salt
- 1 cup haricot vert green beans
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium sized head lettuce - Boston or Romaine
- ½ cup Kalamata olives pitted
- 7 ounces canned tuna drained and lightly mashed
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 4 artichoke hearts drained and sliced in half
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 anchovies chopped or smashed with a fork
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown or Dijon mustard
- Sea salt
- White pepper or black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Add a teaspoon of the sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, uncovered, on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and cool the potatoes. Slice them in half.
- Cook the green beans. Fill another saucepan with water. Add sea salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Also, fill a bowl with some salted ice water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for a few minutes, or until they are crisp-tender, but still bright green. Drain the green beans, then place them in the ice water for a few minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Cook the eggs. Place them in a saucepan. Cover with cold water by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and remove from the heat. Set a timer for 11 minutes. Drain the eggs and place them in an ice bath or run them under cold water to make them easier to peel. I like to peel them under cold running water as well. Slice the eggs in halves or quarters.
- Make the lemon vinaigrette dressing. Whisk together in a bowl the lemon juice, anchovies, olive oil, brown or Dijon mustard and the white pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of this dressing to the cooked potatoes and toss.
- Prep the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes in half. Place them in a small bowl. Add a little sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.
- Prep the lettuce. Wash and salad spin the lettuce. Separate the leaves. If using romaine lettuce like I did, you may wish to use only the more leafy tops.
- Assemble the salad. Prepare either 4 to 6 individual plates, or 1 large serving platter. Arrange the lettuce, tuna, potatoes, green beans, eggs, artichoke hearts, capers, cherry tomatoes, and Kalamata olives. Serve drizzled with the vinaigrette dressing.
- Enjoy!