This Classic Niçoise Salad Recipe Will Transport You Straight to France (2024)

It'll Transport You Straight to France

Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.

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Updated on 06/25/23

Tested by

Patty Lee

Tested byPatty Lee

Patty was a Senior Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, where she oversaw recipe developers and food writers in creating delicious recipes and helpful cooking guides.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

The Origins of the Niçoise Salad

The composed salad comes by way of Nice (hence its name), a city that sits in the French Riviera along the Mediterranean. The version we know and love now was first recorded by Auguste Escoffier, a 19th century chef who was born in Nice and popularized classic French culinary techniques.

Niçoise salad is served as a composed salad, meaning the different ingredients are arranged in groups on a large platter versus a tossed salad, which calls for—as you can guess—mixing everything together before serving.

Tips for Making an Exceptional Niçoise Salad

Texture is key when it comes to making a good salad, and especially for a Niçoise salad. Dry the salad greens thoroughly so they retain their crunch, and don't overcook the green beans.
This is an easy make-ahead salad since you can prep many of the ingredients, such as the hard-boiled eggs, green beans, and dressing in advance. You can also boil the potatoes, but saving the pan-frying for later.

"This Niçoise salad was filling and satisfying, but also surprisingly light thanks to the bright and zippy dressing. I loved the contrast of the crunchy salad greens and green beans against the creaminess of the egg yolks and potatoes. While the addition of the anchovies in the dressing is by no means traditional, it added a deep umami flavor that I really loved. It may even become my new go-to dressing."—Patty Lee

This Classic Niçoise Salad Recipe Will Transport You Straight to France (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1/2 pound white potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
4 cups salad greens, baby greens, or larger greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
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1 large (12-ounce) can tuna, drained
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
2/3 cup brine-cured pitted black olives, such as Kalamata
10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup aged red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
3 to 4 anchovy fillets
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Boil the potatoes for about 4 to 6 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, then slice them in half. (Leave the water in the pot, though; you'll use it for blanching the green beans in a few moments.)
Bring the water back to a boil, and add the green beans. Blanch for 2 minutes.
Remove with tongs to a bowl of ice water to shock them and keep them from cooking further. Drain and dry them with paper towels and set aside.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, with a bit of olive oil until it's quite hot, then place the sliced potatoes in the pan, cut-side down.
Sear for a minute or two until the potatoes are lightly browned, then remove them from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Toss with kosher salt and set aside.
Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and anchovies in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. (The anchovies are salty, so you might not need much additional salt.)
Place the salad greens in a bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to coat. Arrange the greens on 4 serving plates or 1 large platter. Distribute the potato halves equally, with the browned sides facing up.
Toss the green beans, olives, and tomatoes with enough additional dressing to lightly coat them, and arrange them on the salad.
Divide the tuna and place it in the center of plates. Arrange the hard-boiled egg quarters, then garnish with the fresh parsley and serve.

Recipe Variation

Instead of the vinaigrette, you could serve a Niçoise salad with garlic aioli.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
577	Calories
41g	Fat
22g	Carbs
31g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	577
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g	52%
Saturated Fat 7g	34%
Cholesterol 226mg	75%
Sodium 840mg	37%
Total Carbohydrate 22g	8%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 19mg	97%
Calcium 126mg	10%
Iron 4mg	22%
Potassium 830mg	18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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This Classic Niçoise Salad Recipe Will Transport You Straight to France (2024)

The Origins of the Niçoise Salad

Tips for Making an Exceptional Niçoise Salad

Recipe Variation

References