Niçoise Salad Recipe
Nothing says summer in the French Riviera like a niçoise salad. But what if you can’t see the pastel coastline or feel the warm ocean breeze on your brow? Then simply take your salad outdoors, sit under an umbrella, and sip a crisp Provençal white wine. Dreamers always have more fun.
Game plan: The dressing, potatoes, and green beans can be prepared in advance—just make sure to toss the potatoes in the dressing while they’re still warm. Let the ingredients come to room temperature before assembling the salad.
The olives can be pitted or not, depending on your preference.
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, or chives
For the salad:
- 8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
- Kosher salt
- 6 ounces green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
- 6 to 8 ounces good-quality oil-packed tuna, drained and broken into large chunks
- 8 ounces ripe tomatoes, sliced into 3/4-inch wedges
- 10 ounces Bibb or butter lettuce (about 1 head), washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 8 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/4 cup black olives, such as niçoise or kalamata
- Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium, nonreactive bowl until combined. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in the herbs, taste, and season with more salt and pepper as needed; set aside.
For the salad:
- Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and gently boil until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a cutting board until cool enough to handle but still warm. (Do not let the potatoes cool completely.)
- Meanwhile, return the water to a boil over high heat. Add more salt as needed so that the water tastes salty. Add the green beans and blanch until tender but still crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Spread the beans on paper towels and let them sit until dry.
- When the potatoes are ready, slice them in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in a small bowl and toss with just enough of the dressing to lightly coat. Taste, adding more dressing, salt, and pepper as needed; set aside.
- Slice each egg lengthwise into quarters and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Place the blanched green beans, tuna, and tomatoes in separate small bowls. Toss each with just enough of the dressing to lightly coat. Taste, adding more dressing, salt, and pepper as needed; set aside. Toss the lettuce in a large bowl with just enough of the dressing to coat. Taste, adding more dressing, salt, and pepper as needed. Reserve any remaining dressing.
- Arrange the lettuce on a large platter. Place the tuna and potatoes in the center of the lettuce, then the tomatoes, eggs, and green beans around them. Top with the anchovy fillets and olives. Serve immediately and, if you choose, with any remaining dressing on the side.

Salade Nicoise is so simple yet tasty, I wonder why we don't see it on more menus in the city. The dressing is such a classic, I use it on most salads (with crushed garlic). My vote is for potatoes. Welcome to SF, Tiny Kitchen! We scored big time!
The best one that I've had was in Avignon: no potatoes, little croustades with goat cheese on them, and a touch of horseradish in the dressing.
Chochotte, I had LOADS of potato dishes while traveling in the Mediterranean..(particularly in Greece)...I don't know about the authenticity of this recipe but it sounds lovely to me!
David Liebovitz covers the "cooked" debate in depth: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2010/07/classic_salade_nicoise.html#more His verdict: no cooked vegetables. At most, a light blanch on the green beans. I still like mine with potatoes!
I'd have to argue that point, beaulieu. I've eaten many Salade Niçoises in the area, and they all have had cooked potatoes and green beans. As well, the recipe books written by Niçoise folks include potatoes and green beans (cooked) in their recipes. I'm sure there are all raw versions, but I can't see how you can say they NEVER contain cooked ingredients.
beaulieu - exactly what I was about to say. A salade niçoise has no cooked vegetables in it - potatoes are hardly what you think of when you think of Mediterranean food are they?
This looks like a nice salad, but it is not Salade Niçoise, which contains no cooked vegetables, ie:no potatoes or green beans. It would always include pieces of sweet pepper and perhaps small fava beans in season, or scallions or cucumber. In Nice they have the little artichokes you can eat raw. In many places it is easy to buy a piece of fresh tuna, sear it and chunk it as they would in Nice.