Niçoise Salad
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Fresh, colorful, and bursting with flavor, this Niçoise Salad is a must-try. With tender potatoes, crisp veggies, and a tangy dressing, it’s both healthy and delicious. You’ll love how easy it is to make!
This Niçoise Salad has quickly become one of my favorites. I love how it looks so elegant and colorful, yet it’s surprisingly easy to make. With fresh, vibrant ingredients like baby potatoes, crisp green beans, and cherry tomatoes, it comes together in no time and always impresses. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, it’s as delicious as it is beautiful.
Before You Start
- Prep in Advance: Cook the potatoes, green beans, and eggs ahead of time to make assembling the salad super quick and easy.
- Choose Good Tuna: I recommend using high-quality tuna packed in olive oil for the best flavor.
- Fresh Dressing: Mix the dressing right before you serve the salad or if you made it ahead of time, just give it another quick whisk before drizzling over the salad.
- Presentation Matters: Arrange the ingredients in sections on the platter for a beautiful look.
- Taste and Adjust: Give the salad a taste before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Baby Potatoes: I chose mixed colored baby potatoes but you can use fingerling potatoes if you prefer. You can also use regular potatoes, just make sure to cut them in equal pieces so they all cook at the same time.
- Green Beans: I used fresh green beans, but frozen will work as well. Asparagus is a great substitute.
- Eggs: Use hard-boiled or soft-boiled eggs, as you like.
- Mixed Salad Greens: Spinach or arugula are good alternatives.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are a great substitute, or if you just have regular tomatoes, those will work as well, just cut them in equal size pieces.
- Black Olives: For a salty, briny taste. Niçoise or Kalamata olives are ideal.
- Red Onion: You can use shallots if you want a milder flavor.
- Tuna: Opt for tuna packed in olive oil but if you only have tuna packed in water, that works too.
- Capers (optional): For an additonal tangy, briny punch. You can skip them if you’re not a fan.
- Artichoke Hearts: I used canned artichoke hearts but marinated artichokes work well too.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Opt for a good quality extra virgin olive oil, it really makes a difference in your dressings.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Brings acidity and tang. White wine vinegar is a great substitute.
- Dijon Mustard: Adds a bit of spice and helps emulsify the dressing.
- Garlic: Fresh is best, but garlic powder works in a pinch.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 12 ounces of halved baby potatoes and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Tip: Cooking the potatoes first allows them to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
In the same pot, blanch 8 ounces of trimmed green beans for 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process, then drain and set aside. Tip: Blanching the beans keeps them crisp and bright green.
Place 4 large eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit for 9 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool, then peel and halve. Tip: Cooling the eggs in ice water makes them easier to peel.
In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, salt, and pepper.
On a large platter or individual plates, arrange 8 cups of mixed salad greens. Arrange the potatoes, green beans, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, ½ cup black olives, ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion, 5-7 ounces drained tuna, and 14 ounces quartered artichoke hearts in sections over the greens. Add the halved eggs and sprinkle with ¼ cup capers if using.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine just before serving. I like to sprinkle some everything bagel seasoning over my eggs, it just makes them taste so much better.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store leftover Niçoise Salad?
Store leftover Niçoise Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving to keep the salad fresh.
How do I keep the salad ingredients fresh?
To keep the salad fresh, store the vegetables separately from the dressing in the refrigerator and combine them just before serving.
Can I make the dressing ahead of time?
Yes, you can and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before serving, make sure the whisk it again to recombine the ingredients.
How can I repurpose leftover Niçoise Salad?
Transform leftovers into a delicious wrap or sandwich filling. Simply chop the ingredients and mix with the dressing, then wrap in a tortilla or stuff into a pita.
Other Delicious Salad Recipes
- Tzatziki Chicken Salad
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Seafood Salad
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Niçoise Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 12 ounces baby potatoes (halved)
- 8 ounces green beans (trimmed)
- 4 large eggs
- 8 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- ½ cup black olives (such as Niçoise or Kalamata)
- ¼ cup red onion (thinly sliced)
- 5-7 ounces tuna packed in olive oil (drained)
- ¼ cup capers (optional)
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts (1 can, drained and quartered)
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the baby potatoes and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a bowl.
- In the same pot, blanch the green beans for 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process, then drain and set aside.
- Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit for 9 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool, then peel and halve.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
- On a large platter or individual plates, arrange the mixed salad greens. Arrange the potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onion, tuna, and artichoke hearts in sections over the greens.
- Add the halved eggs and sprinkle with capers if using. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine just before serving.
Notes
- Cook the potatoes, green beans, and eggs ahead of time to save time when assembling the salad.
- Keep the dressing separate until just before serving to keep the salad fresh.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
