The authentic French Salade Niçoise recipe from the city of Nice, France made with tuna, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, radishes, capers, olives & artichokes. One of my all-time favorite salads that is full of protein and with lots of fresh vegetables. It is simple to make yet impressive to serve and is perfect for picnics or long lunches in the sun.
La Salade Niçoise is a light 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. If you are planning a trip to Nice, click here for my 24 hours in Nice itinerary.
French Summer Salad Recipes
Click here if you love French Summer Salads. You will love this post with my 11 favorite French Summer Salad Recipes such as La Salade Tropezienne, La Salade Mentonnaise, La Salade Lyonnaise and La Salade Parisienne.
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Le Chef , my French Chef husband, 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 sometimes sneak them into our homemade salads for a heartier dish (shhhhhh).
I read that Julia Child loved a Niçoise salad which does not surprise me in the least. She spent a lot of time in the South of France. If you are also a fan of Julia Child you can read my blog post about the time I got to tour her Georgetown home before it was sold. A cook's look inside Julia Child's Georgetown home. Auguste Escoffier and Jacques Médecin are also famous supporters of the "Authentic" Niçoise salad!
Frequently asked questions about La Salade Niçoise:
An authentic Salade Niçoise, as described by Guy Gedda, Le Pape de la Cuisine Provençale, or the "Pope of Provencal Cuisine" incudes lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, green onion, anchovies, tuna, Niçois olives , radishes, artichokes, and lemon. Boiled vegetables like potatoes and green beans are not included in an authentic or traditional Salad Niçoise, however it does create for a more complete meal and tastes delicious! Use them at your own discretion 🙂
Very simply – it is a healthier version of what is commonly known as French cuisine. Rooted in the Mediterranean diet , the food of the French Riviera is a mix of Provençal, Italian, Greek, North African and French cuisines. It is inspired by the sun and the Mediterranean sea and features lots of seasonal fruits and vegetables, fish, and olive oil. Preferred cooking methods are oven baked or poached and the iconic ingredients of northern French cuisine, butter and cheese, are seldom used. The most common seasonings are rosemary, thyme, herbes de Provence, as well fresh lemon or orange zest.
La Salade Niçoise comes from the Capital city of the French Riviera, Nice, France. The mediterranean coastal city is situated between Cannes and Monte Carlo and has culinary influences from neighboring Italy as well as Provence. La Salade Niçoise is one of the French Riviera's most popular culinary exports. If you are planning to go to the city of Nice, check out my 24 hours in Nice itinerary.
Le Chef's Wife French Salade Niçoise Recipe for 2
Traditional recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head of butter lettuce
- 2 eggs
- 1 can of tuna (the best you can find). The authentic Niçois recipe uses canned tuna, but you can use fresh tuna as well if you prefer.
- 10 Niçoise olives (or Kalamata olives if you don't have access to the Niçois kind)
- 1 Shallot finely chopped
- 1 spring onion finely chopped
- 8 radishes ( preferably the long French kind but regular garden radishes work well too) sliced thinly
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered (or 10 cherry tomatoes, halved)
- ½ a cucumber, sliced (if you have a mandolin you can make long, thin strips of cucumber to curl)
- 1 Bell pepper, thinly sliced (green bell peppers or red or yellow is your preference)
- 2 Artichoke hearts in oil, quartered
- ½ cup fava beans (broad beans or lima beans can also work)
- 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
- 1 lemon for squeezing over the top to finish
- (optional: anchovy fillets or capers to garnish. I love capers but don't like anchovies on my Niçoise though Le Chef does)
- Also Optional (and not usually included in the authentic Salade Niçoise:
- 1 bunch of green beans
- 2 medium potatoes
Instructions
Cooking times
Eggs: For just slightly hard-boiled eggs (with a bright yellow yoke that is hard) add the eggs to boiling water and let boil for 8.5 minutes over medium high heat. For medium boiled eggs I leave them for 6-7 minutes. I personally prefer a runny yoke. Remove the eggs from the hot water with a slotted spoon and then cover with ice cubes so that they stop cooking.
Potatoes (optional): 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 (Optional): 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. Ice water helps keep their bright green color. If you love French green beans you love my recipe here: Haricots verts
Begin assembling your Niçoise Salad while the cooked ingredients chill to room temperature. (Note: the cooked ingredients can be made the day before and kept in the fridge as well)
Niçoise Salad 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 salad leaves in half of the vinaigrette. Assemble your ingredients one by one in a large bowl or platter. I like to lay salad on the bottom, then artfully arrange the ingredients on the top so that each beautiful ingredient is visible. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top. I also like to squeeze some fresh lemon juice to finish if you have it. Serve with a fresh baked baguette and a glass of Rosé for the have the perfect French Riviera lunch.
Other French Riviera Recipes by Le Chef's Wife you will enjoy:
Best 25 French Recipes for Bastille Day
Roasted Plum and Goat Cheese Salad
French Baguettes for beginners (the easiest, quickest recipe ever!)
Let me know what you are cooking, mes amis. I love to hear from you. Leave a comment and a star rating below if you have made this salade Nicoise recipe! Let me know if you would like me to share the recipe for the sandwich version of the Salade Niçoise, the Pan Bagnat.
Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
About Le Chef's Wife
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this recent Washington Post Article. We were recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
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French Salade Niçoise Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: starters, salads
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Here is an authentic, tasty French Salade Niçoise recipe that you will love! One of my all-time favorite salads that is full of protein (eggs, tuna and possibly sardines) and with lots of good veggies butter lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, artichokes fava beans, radishes and basil. It is simple to make yet impressive to serve and is perfect for picnics or long lunches in the sun.. 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 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
- 2 whole artichoke hearts in oil, quartered
- ½ cup fava beans
- 2 Persian cucumbers, 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
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.
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)
Le Chef's Classic Basil 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 salad leaves in half of the vinaigrette. Assemble your ingredients one by one. I like to lay salad on the bottom, then artfully arrange the ingredients on the top so that each beautiful ingredient is visible. 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.
Notes
La Salade Niçoise is the perfect dish to bring to serve at a picnic or BBQ or when you are having a nice lunch with friends. It is healthy yet filling and is impressive to serve.
**Le Chef's tip for a great salad is seasoning the individual ingredients before composing the salad.**
Toss the salad leaves in half of the vinaigrette. Assemble your ingredients one by one. I like to lay salad on the bottom, then artfully arrange the ingredients on the top so that each beautiful ingredient is visible. 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.
Cheryl says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I first had salad nicoise during my first trip to France and your recipe brings back such happy memories.
Shani Whisonant says
I had the tremendous opportunity to host Anina Belle on my YouTube show, "I'll Bring Dessert". We made this salade and it was the PERFECT meal! It so simple to make and so flavorful; it was a tremendous hit with everyone in my family! Thank you so much Anina Belle for this incredible recipe!
lechefswife says
I had so much fun cooking with you, Shani! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Britney Brown-Chamberlain says
I cannot believe how simple and delicious this salad was! Nothing but summer's finest ingredients and an easy vinaigrette to go on top - this is my new go to salad!
lechefswife says
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I am so happy that you are enjoying the recipe. Bon appétit!