Nicoise Salad, an easy summer salad, is perfect for al fresco dining. Tomatoes, olives, green beans, potatoes, tuna, and hard cooked eggs drizzled with vinaigrette.
Let me just say, here and now, this is one of my favorite meals.
If I were marooned on a deserted island, I would dream of this.
If I were offered a celebration meal, I would order this.
Tuna Nicoise (nee-SWAHZ)
An easy salad with layers of tomatoes, black olives, green beans, potatoes, canned tuna, and hard cooked eggs drizzled with vinaigrette. On a warm summer night, this salad makes my heart sing.
Easy summer salad
✅ Make ahead
✅ Easy to find ingredients
✅ Cook once, eat twice
✅ Delicious and festive
✅ No oven required
It can be a one-pan meal and the cooking done ahead. But it’s best served at room temperature.
It’s also good company food. It has a certain je ne se quoi. Je ne se quoi means …I don’t know… I don’t really know what to say… I can’t put it into words. The gist? This salad seems to suit everyone.
small potatoes and green beans for Nicoise Salad
How to make Tuna Nicoise Salad
- Cook eggs, green beans and potatoes. I prefer small potatoes, such as new potatoes or fingerlings, though you can cut larger potatoes into similar sizes.
- Drizzle with half the vinaigrette. (Warm vegetables soak up more flavor.)
- Place tomatoes, olives (I use Kalalmata), green beans, potatoes, tuna, and hard-cooked eggs on plate, drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.
I serve this as a composed salad on each plate. So the tuna is in the center and potatoes are piled here, the scoop of green beans are there, eggs and tomatoes are tucked in between piles, olives are scattered over everything. Drizzle with vinaigrette, sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. And that’s it. A crusty baguette and chilled glass of white wine are optional.
Perfect summer meal
Nicoise add ins
To make the salad your way, add in sliced radishes, beets, cucumbers, capers, or pickled onions.
Substitute canned salmon for tuna. Don’t have fresh green beans? Use frozen or canned.
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PrintNicoise Salad
Nicoise Salad, an easy summer salad, is perfect for al fresco dining. Tomatoes, olives, green beans, potatoes, tuna, and hard cooked eggs drizzled with vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna, drained
- 1/2 pound green beans, fresh, frozen or canned
- 1/2 pound small potatoes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 hard-cooked eggs
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (red wine or white wine can be used)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Eggs hard cook them. Simmer or steam for 12-15 minutes, cool immediately in a bowl of ice water. Peel and quarter.
Green beans steam, boil, or microwave about 12 minutes, until tender. Drain. Add to bowl, drizzle warm green beans with a couple teaspoons vinaigrette, stir to coat.
Potatoes steam or boil for 12-15 minutes, until tender. A sharp knife poked through should easily pass through potato. Drain. Add to green beans, drizzle warm potatoes with a couple teaspoons vinaigrette, stir to coat.
Vinaigrette combine oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in small jar. Shake to combine.
Nicoise Salad scoop tuna, green beans, potatoes, egg, tomatoes, and olives on plate. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.
Notes
Steam or boil the eggs, green beans, and potatoes together to save time.
It can be a one-pan meal and the cooking done ahead. But it’s best served at room temperature.
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