Salade Niçoise

Name: Salade Niçoise
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Cuisine: French Menu
Ingredients: Romaine Lettuce — 1 head; Green Beans — 200 g; Baby Potatoes — 300 g; Tuna — 1 tin; Anchovies — 4; Eggs — 4; Black Olives — 50 g; Red Onion — ½; Parsley — 1 bunch; Chives — 1 bunch; Garlic — 2 cloves; Red Wine Vinegar — 2 tbsp; Extra Virgin Olive Oil — 60 ml; Salt — To taste; Black Pepper — To taste

This classic Salade Niçoise is a vibrant French masterpiece featuring a robust combination of tender baby potatoes, crisp green beans, salty anchovies, and flaked tuna, all brought together with hard-boiled eggs and olives. Dressed in a simple, punchy vinaigrette of fresh parsley, chives, garlic, and red wine vinegar, this refreshing salad is an essential summer dish that perfectly balances bold Mediterranean flavours with a delightful, rustic texture.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes

Servings: 2 to 4

Notes:

To achieve perfect hard-boiled eggs without that unsightly dark ring around the yolk, always shock them immediately in an ice-water bath after their 10-minute boil, which stops the cooking process instantly.

The dressing is fundamental; whisking together fresh parsley, chives, garlic, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil creates a bright, clean emulsion, though it can also be prepared in a blender for an even smoother finish.

Fresh green beans should be boiled for exactly four minutes and then immediately shocked in ice water; this technique retains their vibrant green colour and signature crunch, which is essential for a cold salad.

Layer your assembly carefully; start by tossing the firmer, stronger ingredients like green beans, olives, onions, and tuna with the dressing first, as they hold their shape better, then gently add the more delicate potatoes and eggs at the end to prevent breakage.

This salad is highly customisable; while these ingredients form the traditional core, you can easily adjust the quantities or add seasonal vegetables based on personal preference, finishing with fresh basil for an extra touch of aromatic freshness.

Prepare Dressing
Finely chop the parsley, chives, and garlic, then whisk together with red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil until well combined.

Boil Eggs and Beans
Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, then shock in ice water; separately, boil the green beans for 4 minutes and shock in ice water to maintain their colour and crunch.

Cook Potatoes
Boil the baby potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes until tender, then allow them to cool completely.

Assemble Base
In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, green beans, onions, olives, anchovies, and tuna with a portion of the dressing and toss gently to coat.

Finalise
Gently fold in the quartered eggs and cooled potatoes with the remaining dressing, garnish with fresh torn basil leaves, and serve with extra vinaigrette on the side.