Here is a simple, tasty French Salade Niçoise recipe. One of my all-time favorite salads that is full of protein and with lots of good veggies. Perfect for picnics or long lunches in the sun. It is a guilt-free lunch that represents the French Riviera. With each bite I can imagine myself back in Nice, sitting at a Beach restaurant, enjoying a meal seaside with a chilled glass of Rosé.
Le Chef makes one of the best Niçoise salads I have ever tasted, (hint, his secret is basil!) and it was one of his most popular dishes when he was Executive Chef of Le Meridien Nice. While he is a traditionalist when it comes to his Salade Niçoise ( meaning no green beans or potatoes) I often sneak them into our homemade salads for a heartier dish. The result is a delicious Niçoise that takes the best of Le Chef’s traditional recipe and adapts it to what we can find easily in the USA.
Le Chef’s Wife French Salade Niçoise Recipe for 2
- 1 head of butter lettuce
- 2 eggs
- 1 bunch of green beans
- 1 can of tuna (the best you can find)
- 10 Niçois olives (or Kalamata if you don’t have access to the Niçois kind)
- 1 Shallot finely chopped
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 8 radishes ( preferably the long French kind but regular garden radishes work well too) sliced thinly
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 a cucumber, sliced
- 1 bunch fresh chopped basil (or else pesto if you don’t have fresh basil for the vinaigrette)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- (optional: sardines or capers to garnish. I love capers but don’t like sardines on my Niçoise though Le Chef does)
It is worth noting that 90% of these ingredients were in my CSA order this week – fresh and in season!
Preparation:
Put 3 pots of water on the stove to boil. 1 big one for the potatoes, 2 medium pots for the green beans and the eggs.
Cooking times:
Eggs: For just slightly hardboiled (with a bright yellow yoke that is hard) add the eggs to boiling water and let boil for 8.5 minutes. For medium boiled eggs I leave them for 6-7 minutes. I personally prefer my yokes a little runny. Drain out the hot water and cover the eggs with ice cubes so that they stop cooking.
Potatoes: Put the potatoes in cold , salted water (skin on), bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes depending on the size. You should be able to stick a fork in them easily without them crumbling apart. Drain out the water and leave to chill.
Green beans: Bring water to a full boil. Add a pinch of Salt. Add the green beans ( with the tops snapped off). Let boil for 5 minutes so that they are still slightly crunchy. Quickly drain out the water and then put ice cubes over the green beans to chill them. This keeps their bright green color.
Begin assembling your Niçoise Salad while the cooked ingredients chill. (Note: the cooked ingredients can be made the day before and kept in the fridge as well)
Making the Vinaigrette:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
- pinch of coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons of fresh copped basil or 1 tablespoon of pesto
**Le Chef’s tip for a great salad is seasoning the individual ingredients before composing the salad.**
Toss the green beans in a little vinaigrette. Place the green beans on a bed of lettuce and then add the tuna to the bowl to soak up the remainder of the vinaigrette. Toss the tuna with the finely chopped shallots. Assemble your ingredients one by one. I like to lay salad on the bottom, then pile the green beans in the center with the tuna on top. Around the sides I like to display the quartered tomatoes, eggs, potatoes, radishes and cucumber slices as pictured below. I spread the olives around the center and add a sprinkle of green onions, capers and more basil on top. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top. Serve with a fresh baked baguette and a glass of Rosé for the have the perfect French Riviera lunch.
Bon Appetit,
Au plaisir,
Le Chef’s Wife
French Salade Niçoise Recipe
Description
The Best salad to come out of the South of France, in my opinion. Serve with a fresh baked baguette and a glass of Rosé for the perfect French Riviera lunch.
Ingredients
Le Chef’s Wife French Salade Niçoise Recipe for 2
- 1 head of butter lettuce
- 2 eggs
- 1 bunch of green beans
- 1 can of tuna (the best you can find)
- 10 Niçois olives (or Kalamata if you don’t have access to the Niçois kind)
- 1 Shallot finely chopped
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 8 radishes ( preferably the long French kind but regular garden radishes work well too) sliced thinly
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 a cucumber, sliced
- 1 bunch fresh chopped basil (or else pesto if you don’t have fresh basil for the vinaigrette)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- (optional: sardines or capers to garnish. I love capers but don’t like sardines on my Niçoise though Le Chef does)
Instructions
It is worth noting that 90% of these ingredients were in my CSA order this week – fresh and in season!
Preparation:
Put 3 pots of water on the stove to boil. 1 big one for the potatoes, 2 medium pots for the green beans and the eggs.
Cooking times:
Eggs: For just slightly hardboiled (with a bright yellow yoke that is hard) add the eggs to boiling water and let boil for 8.5 minutes. For medium boiled eggs I leave them for 6-7 minutes. I personally prefer my yokes a little runny. Drain out the hot water and cover the eggs with ice cubes so that they stop cooking.
Potatoes: Put the potatoes in cold , salted water (skin on), bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes depending on the size. You should be able to stick a fork in them easily without them crumbling apart. Drain out the water and leave to chill.
Green beans: Bring water to a full boil. Add a pinch of Salt. Add the green beans ( with the tops snapped off). Let boil for 5 minutes so that they are still slightly crunchy. Quickly drain out the water and then put ice cubes over the green beans to chill them. This keeps their bright green color.
Begin assembling your Niçoise Salad while the cooked ingredients chill. (Note: the cooked ingredients can be made the day before and kept in the fridge as well)
Making the Vinaigrette:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
- pinch of coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons of fresh copped basil or 1 tablespoon of pesto
**Le Chef’s tip for a great salad is seasoning the individual ingredients before composing the salad.**
Toss the green beans in a little vinaigrette. Place the green beans on a bed of lettuce and then add the tuna to the bowl to soak up the remainder of the vinaigrette. Toss the tuna with the finely chopped shallots. Assemble your ingredients one by one. I like to lay salad on the bottom, then pile the green beans in the center with the tuna on top. Around the sides I like to display the quartered tomatoes, eggs, potatoes, radishes and cucumber slices as pictured below. I spread the olives around the center and add a sprinkle of green onions, capers and more basil on top. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top. Serve with a fresh baked baguette and a glass of Rosé for the perfect French Riviera lunch.
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