Classic Niçoise Salad
Traditional Salade Niçoise — The French Art of Artful Arrangement
This isn't just tossing ingredients together — it's the composed salad that taught the world how beautiful individual components can be when thoughtfully arranged. Each element keeps its identity while contributing to something greater, from tender potatoes kissed with vinaigrette to eggs with jammy yolks that practically beg to be broken.
FrenchMediterraneanLunchDinnerSaladGluten FreeHealthyNo CookSeafoodFishEggsSpringSummer
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 1 lbsmall new potatoes, about walnut-sized
- 4 largelarge eggs
- 8 ozgreen beans, ends trimmed
- 8 cupmixed greens (butter lettuce and arugula work beautifully)
- 2 canquality tuna in oil, drained
- 2 largeripe tomatoes, cut in wedges
- 1 cupNiçoise olives (or Kalamata as substitute)
- 4 anchovy fillets(optional)
- 1 smallsmall red onion, sliced paper-thin(optional)
Vinaigrette
- 3 tbspred wine vinegar
- 1 tbspDijon mustard
- 6 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drop the potatoes into well-salted boiling water and cook until a knife slides through easily, about 12-15 minutes depending on size. They should be tender but not falling apart — you want them to hold their shape when quartered.⏱ 15 min
- Lower eggs into boiling water and cook for exactly 10 minutes for jammy yolks that still have a touch of creaminess. Transfer immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking, then peel once cool and halve lengthwise.⏱ 10 min
- Blanch the green beans in rapidly boiling salted water for 3 minutes — they should be bright green and still have some snap. Shock them in ice water to preserve that vibrant color and crisp-tender texture.⏱ 3 min
- Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly. The mustard helps everything emulsify into a creamy, cohesive dressing.
- Quarter the warm potatoes and gently toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. The potatoes will absorb the dressing better while they're still warm, creating more flavorful bites throughout.
- Spread the greens across a large platter, then arrange each component in distinct sections — this is a composed salad, so keep the tuna, eggs, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, and olives separate and visually appealing. Add the onion slices if using.
- Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over everything, letting people see each beautiful component. Lay the anchovy fillets on top if you're using them — their briny punch is traditional and worth it.