60 recipes: Niçoise Salad from France
This week we’re travelling down to the French Riviera and, more specifically, Nice, the home of the deep blue waters of the Cote d’Azur, white beaches and incredible food. Niçoise Salad, or Salade Niçoise in French, might not sound like much as individual ingredients (especially if you’re using canned tuna), but if anyone can make them work together, it’s the French.
This dish is fresh and lightweight enough to make a healthy summer lunch, but hearty enough to last you until dinnertime thanks to the protein and eggs. Bon Appetit!
Niçoise Salad
Course: LunchCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy20
minutes15
minutesIngredients
8 new potatoes
50g green beans (or a small handful), trimmed and halved
3 eggs
2 Little Gem lettuces , quartered
50g pitted black olives
2 medium tomatoes (plum are good), quartered
145g can tuna in olive oil, drained, oil reserved (see below)
- For the dressing
½ garlic clove
1 anchovy fillet (optional)
1 tbsp Dijion mustard
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp reserved olive oil from the tuna can (topped up, if needed)
Directions
- To make the dressing, mash the garlic, anchovy and a small pinch of salt on a chopping board or pestle and mortar. Combine the paste with the mustard and vinegar, then slowly stir in the tuna oil. Set aside.
- Tip the new potatoes into a large pan of cold salted water, ensuring they’re well covered. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the beans and cook for 5 mins.
- Remove immediately and plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool.
- Cook the potatoes for another 5 mins until tender, then drain and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them, and toss in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of the dressing.
- Leave to cool completely.
- Cook the eggs for 7½ mins, then transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool.
- Drain the beans and eggs, then peel and halve the eggs.
- Tip the lettuce quarters, cooked beans and olives into the bowl with the potatoes.
- Add most of the remaining dressing and gently toss.
- Divide the salad between two bowls, and top with the tomatoes and eggs.
- Flake over the tuna, then drizzle with the rest of the dressing and season.
