Nicoise (pronounced “nee-swahz”) salad — or salade niçoise — originated in Nice, in the south of France. Before Nice was ceded to France in 1860, it was actually a part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, a region that would later become a part of Italy — hence its heavy Italian influence.
Though it began as a “peasant dish”, salade niçoise is now served as a main course in fancy restaurants across the globe. While there have been so many variations over the years, this recipe contains all of the classic components: lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, French beans (or green beans), olives, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, and (optionally) anchovies. As always, you can customize your salade niçoise to add or remove any ingredients that your heart tells you to.
Salade niçoise is fairly simple to make and is loaded with fresh and hearty ingredients that make the salad a meal of its own. It really is the perfect spring or summertime lunch, or — like me — any time you want to be transported to the South of France. When assembling, you can simply toss everything together, or — as I prefer — dress each element separately, and arrange each ingredient on a platter as you would a charcuterie board.
WHAT DRESSING IS USED FOR NICOISE SALAD?
Salade niçoise is traditionally dressed with a French vinaigrette. For the best and freshest flavor, I recommend making it yourself at home — it’s actually super simple to make! My only recommendation is splurging on a really good olive oil. It makes a huge difference in flavor, as lower-quality olive oils can have a bitter, or even rancid, taste. I try to only recommend splurging on more expensive ingredients when I think it is absolutely necessary in a recipe… and this is definitely one of them!
WHAT TYPE OF LETTUCE IS USED FOR NICOISE SALAD?
The lettuce most commonly used for salade niçoise is Boston lettuce (sometimes called “butter lettuce”). It is soft and tender and used in a variety of French salads.
MAKE IT AHEAD
Many of the ingredients for salade niçoise can be made in advance and simply stored in airtight containers in the fridge. Then, when ready to serve, you only need to assemble the final salad.
To make the classic French vinaigrette (recipe also here) used in a salade niçoise, whisk together the white wine vinegar, finely minced shallots, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Slowly drizzle in olive oil, while whisking, tasting your dressing along the way. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and set aside (or keep it in the fridge) while preparing the other components of the salad.
To prepare the lettuce, wash it in cold water using a colander. If you don’t have a salad spinner, lay out the lettuce leaves onto a large kitchen towel, gently pat the leaves dry, and then roll them up into the towel.
Place the lettuce (still wrapped in the towel) in the fridge for about an hour before you are ready to serve. This will ensure no excess water remains on the leaves.
To prepare the hard-boiled eggs, make an ice bath (or fill a bowl with very cold water) and set it aside in the fridge or freezer. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil (I use 16 cups of water and 2 ½ Tablespoons of kosher salt).
Using a slotted spoon, drop the eggs into the boiling water and allow them to boil for 9 minutes for slightly soft yolks (my favorite). You can leave them in for up to 12 minutes if you prefer the yolks to be fully set.
Remove the eggs from the boiling water and plunge them into your ice bath for about 2 minutes. Set the eggs aside.
To prepare the potatoes, set them in the same pot of boiling salted water and allow them to boil for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they feel tender when poked with a fork.
Remove the potatoes from the boiling water and place them into the ice bath for 2 minutes. Ideally, they should still be warm (but not hot) when removed. This will help them absorb the dressing.
Cut the potatoes in half and place them into a bowl. Stir in about ¼ cup of the prepared dressing and gently toss until the potatoes are evenly coated. Set aside.
To prepare the French beans, drop them in the same pot of boiling water and allow them to boil for 3 minutes. They should be tender, but still crisp (i.e. not mushy).
Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans and drop them into your ice bath for 2 minutes, or until they are completely cooled.
Remove the beans from the ice bath and set aside.
When ready to serve, remove the lettuce from the fridge and place it in a large bowl. Drizzle over a bit of the dressing, and then gently toss until evenly coated. Arrange the lettuce on a large platter.
In two separate bowls, toss the tomatoes and the beans in a bit of the dressing and then add them to the platter on top of the lettuce.
Next, place the potatoes on the platter.
Remove the eggs from their shells, cut them in half, and place them on the platter.
Add on the olives, the tuna, the capers, and (optionally) the anchovies.
If desired, drizzle the top of the salad with a bit of additional dressing and top with freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Nicoise Salad (Salade Niçoise)
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (or 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar + 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice)
- 2 Tbsp shallots, peeled and finely minced
- ½ clove of garlic, peeled and minced (see Note 1)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 head of lettuce (I prefer Boston lettuce)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ lbs (680 g) small yellow potatoes, washed
- 1 lb French beans (or green beans), washed, trimmed, and halved
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup olives
- 1 can or jar good quality oil-packed tuna, drained
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed (optional)
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped (for serving; optional)
Instructions
Preparing the Dressing
- In a bowl or mason jar, whisk together white wine vinegar, shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.2 Tbsp white wine vinegar2 Tbsp shallots, peeled and finely minced2 tsp Dijon mustard1 tsp kosher salt¼ tsp ground black pepper½ clove of garlic, peeled and minced
- While continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle in olive oil.¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Set aside, covered, or chill in the refrigerator.
Preparing the Lettuce
- In a colander, wash lettuce. Dry lettuce, whether in salad spinner or large kitchen towel. Keep lettuce, wrapped in the towel, in the refrigerator until ready to use.1 head of lettuce
Preparing the Hard-Boiled Eggs
- In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath (or pour in very cold water). Set bowl aside in the fridge or freezer.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. (I use 16 cups of water with 2 ½ Tbsp of kosher salt.)
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully drop eggs into the boiling water.4 large eggs
- For slightly soft yolks (my preference for this recipe), boil for 9 minutes. For yolks that are fully set, boil for up to 12 minutes.
- Remove eggs from boiling water and set them in ice bath for about 2 minutes.
- Remove eggs from ice bath and set aside.
Preparing the Potatoes
- Using a slotted spoon, drop potatoes into the same pot of boiling water from before. Boil until potatoes feel tender when poked with a fork (about 12 to 15 minutes).1 ½ lbs (680 g) small yellow potatoes, washed
- Remove potatoes from boiling water and set them in ice bath for about 2 minutes.
- Remove potatoes from ice bath and set aside. (To help the potatoes absorb the dressing, they should still be warm — but not hot — at this stage.)
- Halve the potatoes and set them in a bowl. Stir in about ¼ cup of prepared dressing and gently toss until potatoes are evenly coated. Set aside.
Preparing the French Beans
- Drop beans into the same pot of boiling water from before. Boil until beans are tender, but still crisp (about 3 minutes).1 lb French beans (or green beans), washed, trimmed, and halved
- Using a slotted spoon, remove beans from boiling water and set them in ice bath until they are completely cooled (about 2 minutes).
- Remove beans from ice bath and set aside.
Assembling the Salad
- When ready to serve, remove lettuce from the fridge and set it in a large bowl. Drizzle a small amount of dressing over lettuce and gently toss until evenly coated. Arrange lettuce on a large platter.
- In two separate bowls, toss tomatoes and cooled beans in a small amount of dressing. Arrange each on platter, as desired.1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- Arrange potatoes on platter, as desired.
- Remove eggs from their shells and halve them. Arrange eggs on platter, as desired.
- Arrange olives, tuna, capers, and anchovies (optional), as desired.½ cup olives1 can or jar good quality oil-packed tuna, drained2 Tbsp capers4 anchovy fillets, rinsed
- Drizzle top of salad with a small amount of dressing, as desired. Top with freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately.Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Notes
- Salad Dressings with Garlic: The salad dressing used for salade niçoise contains raw garlic. You should consume the dressing within a few days of making it, as raw garlic in a salad dressing can grow bacteria and cause botulism.
- Proportions Don’t Matter: The amount of each ingredient you include in your salade niçoise is completely up to you. The quantities listed above are just my recommendation and the typical amounts that I use when making a traditional salade niçoise.
- Using an Ice Bath: Keep your ice bath in the fridge or freezer between steps to ensure the water stays very cold.
- Composed vs. Tossed: Instead of arranging the salad on the platter and drizzling the top with dressing (i.e. the traditional composed salade niçoise), you could also easily combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss them with your desired amount of dressing.
