Salade Niçoise Recipe

Tuna, soft eggs, green beans, potatoes and olives over crisp lettuce with a mustard vinaigrette — salade Niçoise is the sunny, satisfying salad of the French Riviera.

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Servings

4 servings

Calories

480

Ingredients

• 400 g baby potatoes, halved
• 200 g green beans, trimmed
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tuna steaks (about 300 g) or 2 cans of good tuna
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 100 g Niçoise or Kalamata olives
• 1 little gem lettuce, leaves separated
• 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, for the dressing
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper to taste + 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes for 12 to 15 minutes until tender, then drain and cool. Blanch the beans for 3 minutes, then refresh in cold water.
2. Soft-boil the eggs for 7 minutes, cool in cold water and peel.
3. Sear the tuna steaks in hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes per side for rare, then slice. If using canned tuna, drain well.
4. Whisk the dressing ingredients with salt and pepper.
5. Arrange the lettuce on a platter, then pile the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, onion, olives, tuna and halved eggs in sections.
6. Drizzle generously with dressing, top with anchovies if using, and serve at once.

Pro tips

• Arrange the salad in sections rather than tossing, so every ingredient stays distinct and beautiful.
• Cook the eggs to just set yolks; they should be creamy, not chalky.
• Dress just before serving so the leaves stay crisp.

Frequently asked questions