Classic Salad Nicoise

Classic Salad Nicoise is a Mediterranean composed salad featuring late summer produce with canned tuna and an amazing vinaigrette dressing. Most gluten free cooks I know lean into cooking from scratch after reading labels and learning what is really in the food we can buy. That's why I share my all time favourite recipes, like this amazing salad, that was always gluten free.

In case you haven't heard, eating 30 different plants a week is recommended for a healthy gut. Whether you are gluten free or not this is a fun goal to work toward. If you print my plant list and check off everything used in this salad it adds up to 11. You only get to count each food once per week but it's a fun challenge.

Add more salads to your weekly meal rotation, take advantage of what's in season and you'll be surprised how easily you can make it to 30 plants in a week. Checkout this Roundup of 20 Summer Salads or my Fall Recipe Roundup and you've got lots to choose from.

Ingredients

Salade Niçoise in French, correctly pronounced [niˈswaz], comes from Nice in the south of France. The dressing is from Julia Child and demonstrates how delicious a homemade vinaigrette can be when made with quality ingredients.

• green beans
• new potatoes
• white wine
• shallots
• extra virgin olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• lemon
• living lettuce or other soft lettuce
• eggs
• tomatoes
• canned tuna
• capers
• Nicoise or Kalamata olives
• anchovy fillets packed in oil
• parsley

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Substitutions & Variations

Even a 'classic' recipe has variations from the region it originates. I recommend making most recipes 'as written' the first time you make them. In this recipe is the exact combination that makes it a classic. However, it's just a salad so vary it with what's fresh and available to you.

Beans – A haricot vert is said to be the finest French green bean. I look for local produce so I use the freshest beans nearby.  Use yellow and green beans together to add more colour to this salad. In France some cooks prefer to use broad beans.

New Potatoes – The fresher the better. Skin on or off, cut the potatoes any way you like.

Lettuce - I serve my salad nicoise on a bed of soft lettuce but this is optional. Use whole leaves to make a gourmet presentation or cut lettuce tossed with a bit of dressing.

Tomatoes – Use the juiciest fresh tomatoes you can find, any colour or variety will be perfect.

Tuna –Canned tuna is part of the classic French recipe. Substitute grilled tuna steaks, salmon or any fish you like. For my favourite grilled version of this salad I grill shrimp and scallops.

Anchovies – I like anchovies in my Caesar salad dressing but I don’t add them to my nicoise. The classic recipe includes little anchovies rolled up and artfully arranged on the plate.

Vinaigrette Dressing – This simple vinaigrette shines with the best quality extra virgin olive oil you have. I keep a separate bottle of the good stuff specifically for some homemade salad dressings.

Shallots – Substitute an ordinary yellow cooking onion or white onion. The taste of shallots is more subtle than cooking onions so they're ideal in any salad dressing recipe.

Eggs – Whether you slice or quarter the eggs they're always included in a Salad Niçoise.

Capers – Sold in small jars, salty capers add a nice bite to tuna and salmon salad. Here they are sprinkled over the salad to add contrast.

Olives – The obvious choice are the smooth black Niçoise olives. Kalamata olives happen to be my favourite, are easy to find and I always have them in my fridge.

Top Tip

Enjoy a quasi salad nicoise with the remaining ingredients in the days after you make this recipe. Sometimes I mix the leftover canned tuna with mayonnaise, lemon juice and capers for a lunchbox version of salad nicoise. Almost any combination of ingredients, topped up with whatever you have on hand, will be delicious.

Classic Salad Nicoise

This Mediterranean composed salad highlights late summer produce. New potatoes, tomatoes and green beans come together with this outstanding Julia Child vinaigrette dressing.

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: French

Keyword: classic Salad nicoise, Mediterranean Salad Nicoise

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 people

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

SALAD NICOISE

• ▢ 1 lb green beans
• ▢ 1 lb new potatoes

DRESSING FOR POTATOES

• ▢ ¼ cup white wine
• ▢ 2 tablespoon cold water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

SALAD DRESSING

• ▢ grated zest of ½ lemon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ▢ ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ tablespoon finely minced shallots, green onions or chives
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

REMAINING SALAD INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 1 head living lettuce or other soft lettuce, washed and dried
• ▢ 6 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• ▢ 3-4 ripe red tomatoes or 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 8 oz chunk white tuna, drained and flaked (2 small cans)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon capers, drained
• ▢ 12 Nicoise or Kalamata olives

OPTIONAL

• ▢ 1 tin anchovy fillets packed in oil (2 oz)

FINISHING

• ▢ oil, lemon, salt and pepper

GARNISH

• ▢ chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ lemon slices

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Instructions

GREEN BEANS

• Cook beans in boiling salted water 4-6 minutes depending on freshness. Drain and immediately put into ice cold water to stop the cooking process. When cool lay on a towel and pat dry. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.

POTATOES

• Place potatoes in a steamer basket in a pot with 2 inches of water. Put the lid on and bring to a boil. Steam potatoes for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Drain.
• While potatoes are cooking combine white wine, water, shallots, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. When potatoes are cool enough to handle cut into halves, quarters or slices. Place in bowl with dressing and gently spoon over potatoes being careful not to break them. Allow to cool in the dressing.

SALAD DRESSING

• In a jar combine lemon zest, salt, pepper, mustard, shallots, lemon juice and oil. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. Set aside until ready to serve.

ASSEMBLY

• Toss green beans with a spoonful of dressing.
• Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and drizzle with dressing.
• Arrange lettuce leaves on a plate or platter.
• Arrange green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs and tuna on top.
• Sprinkle tuna with lemon juice and pepper.
• Sprinkle salad with capers and olives. Add anchovies if using.
• Drizzle dressing over salad and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve.

Notes

There are a lot of ingredients so make it in steps and enjoy the process. I guarantee it will be worth it!

Substitute other fish or seafood for the canned tuna if you prefer. Poached salmon or grilled shrimp and scallops are two of my variations.