Best 2 Classic Nicoise Salad Recipes

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The classic Nicoise salad is a refreshing and flavorful dish that is perfect for a hot summer day. Originating from the French city of Nice, this salad combines fresh vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and canned tuna or anchovies. Dressed with a tangy vinaigrette, the Nicoise salad is a colorful and delicious meal that can be enjoyed as a light lunch or dinner. With its simple ingredients and easy preparation, this classic French salad is sure to impress your friends and family.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

CLASSIC NICOISE SALAD



Classic Nicoise Salad image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 55m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 pound red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons dry white wine
10 ounces haricots verts or thin green beans, trimmed
4 large eggs
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes or small cocktail tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated
6 radishes, trimmed and quartered
2 5 1/2-ounce cans Italian or Spanish tuna packed in olive oil, drained
1/2 cup nicoise olives

Steps:

  • Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl; drizzle with the wine and let cool. Reserve the saucepan.
  • Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with salted ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water to cool; drain and pat dry.
  • Place the eggs in the reserved saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and let stand, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel under cold running water.
  • Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.
  • Toss the tomatoes ian a small bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 1/4 cup dressing to the potatoes and toss. Quarter the hard-cooked eggs.
  • Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Arrange the potatoes, haricots verts, radishes, hard-cooked eggs and tuna on top. Pour any juices from the tomatoes into the dressing, then add the tomatoes to the plates. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the olives.

CLASSIC NICOISE SALAD



Classic Nicoise Salad image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Seafood Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 18

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing tuna
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon finely chopped capers
12 quail eggs
1/2 pound haricots verts, stem ends trimmed
2 teaspoons rice-wine vinegar
8 baby red or fingerling potatoes
2 teaspoons dry vermouth
1 1/2 pounds tuna steak, 1/2 inch thick
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head red-leaf lettuce
1 head, Boston lettuce
1/2 pint red cherry tomatoes
1/2 pint yellow cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup nicoise olives

Steps:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, anchovy paste, and capers. Set aside.
  • Prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl, and set aside. Place quail eggs in a medium saucepan, and cover with several inches of cold water. Place the pan, covered, over high heat, stirring occasionally, until just before the water comes to a boil. Uncover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring eggs gently several times to ensure even cooking. Immediately transfer the eggs, with a slotted spoon, to the ice-water bath. Let cool completely, about 5 minutes. Pat one egg dry at a time; peel, and halve. Set aside.
  • Fill a medium saucepan with salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook haricots verts until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer beans to the ice-water bath. Drain well, and pat dry. Drizzle with rice-wine vinegar, and set aside.
  • Heat a well-seasoned grill pan over high heat. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium-size pot. Cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer potatoes to the ice-water bath. Drain well, and pat dry. Cut in half lengthwise, drizzle with vermouth, and reserve.
  • Lightly brush tuna with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill pan, and cook to rare, 1 or 2 minutes per side.
  • Toss lettuces with some of the anchovy-caper dressing, and place on large serving platter. In a separate bowl, toss potatoes, haricots verts, and tomatoes with more dressing, and arrange over lettuce.
  • Slice tuna very thinly on the diagonal, and arrange over salad. Drizzle tuna with dressing. Garnish salad with quail eggs and nicoise olives.

Tips:

  • Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best flavor. If possible, buy your ingredients from a local farmer's market or specialty food store.
  • Don't overcook the green beans. They should be tender-crisp, not mushy.
  • If you don't have hard-boiled eggs, you can substitute canned tuna or salmon.
  • Feel free to add other ingredients to your salad, such as sliced cucumber, tomatoes, or avocado.
  • Serve the salad immediately, while the green beans are still warm.

Conclusion:

Nicoise salad is a classic French dish that is perfect for a summer meal. It is light, refreshing, and flavorful, and it can be easily customized to your liking. Whether you are a fan of traditional French cuisine or simply looking for a new salad recipe, Nicoise salad is definitely worth trying.

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