The Easiest Niçoise Salad Recipe
Niçoise salad—or, in French, salade Niçoise—is a classic Mediterraean dish. It hails from Nice, on the French Riviera and it’s just right for sunny, warm days. It’s an inherently simple meal, perfect for days when the last thing you want to do is stand near a stove. We’ve made an easy meal even easier with a few shortcuts.
What’s In Classic Salad Niçoise?
The flavors of the south of France are what make this classic, easy Niçoise recipe come alive. Salty, bold olives and fish contrasted with a spritz of tart lemon and rich golden olive oil—it’s a beautiful melange of texture and flavor that we can’t get enough of. Our Niçoise salad recipe relies on a few basic ingredients:
- Potatoes! You want buttery, creamy, little potatoes for a classic Niçoise, and The Little Potato Company Lemon & Garden Herb Microwave-Ready kit makes this essential element of our easy Niçoise totally foolproof. The fact that this kit is cooked in just five minutes in the microwave is a summertime win, too. Who wants to boil potatoes on a steamy hot day?
- Tuna! Rich oil-packed tuna is the classic Niçoise topper, but you can use any tinned fish that you love—smoked trout is also a really lovely fish to use.
- Eggs! Soft-boiled eggs are our preference, though if you prefer hard-boiled, that’s OK too.
- Green beans. Simply blanched, they’re a must.
- Olives! Once again, any mixture of olives that you love will work!
- Tomatoes!
- Fresh basil. All day every day—at least in the summertime.
Salade Niçoise: Let’s Talk Dressing!
Olive oil and lemon juice are the simplest and most traditional way to dress this salad, but we’ve gone a little further and added a bit of Dijon—still francophile!—and a drizzle of honey. If you have a high quality extra virgin olive oil, this is a great time to use it. To make this simple, slightly sweet lemon vinaigrette, you’ll need:
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Chives
Make It Your Own
While our recipe clings pretty closely to tradition, feel free to take some liberties to make it suit your own palate and preferences! If you’re not a fish lover (or want to make it a vegetarian Niçoise salad) try substituting chickpeas, white beans or even feta cheese. If you’re looking for a meaty salad, but fish isn’t your thing, a thinly sliced grilled steak makes a great substitute. You could even swap out any of the vegetables with whatever you get in your CSA or have growing in your garden. Here are a few suggestions:
- Kale
- Snap peas
- Radishes
- Shaved carrots
- Avocados
- Bell peppers
Tools You’ll Need:
- Sharp knife.
- Small pot.
- Microwave.
- Large platter for serving.
Super Supper Salads
Summer is salad-for-dinner season and we’re INTO it. Not only are salads healthy, they can be thrown together without turning on the stove or even firing up the grill—they’re the ultimate no-heat, ten minute dinner. Here are a few we make all summer long:
Voulez-Vous Niçoise Avec Moi?
If you make this easy Niçoise salad, we’d love to see it! Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
