In the realm of culinary delights, Niçoise salad stands tall as an iconic dish from the sun-drenched shores of Nice, France. This vibrant and refreshing salad is a captivating harmony of flavors and textures, featuring an ensemble of crisp lettuce, tender green beans, succulent tomatoes, boiled potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs, all united by a luscious vinaigrette dressing. The crowning glory of Niçoise salad lies in the addition of grilled tuna or anchovies, adding a savory depth that elevates the dish to a symphony of flavors. This definitive guide presents a collection of meticulously crafted recipes, guiding you through the art of creating this classic salad, including variations that cater to diverse dietary preferences, such as a vegetarian option that substitutes seared tofu for the traditional tuna or anchovies. Embark on a culinary journey and discover the secrets to crafting an unforgettable Niçoise salad that will transport your taste buds to the sun-kissed shores of the French Riviera.
Let's cook with our recipes!
GRILLED TUNA SALADE NIçOISE
Grilled Tuna Salade Niçoise
Categories Salad Fish Leafy Green Potato Picnic Lunch Salad Dressing Tuna Summer Capers Gourmet Pescatarian Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Make dressing:
- Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic paste, and anchovy paste in a small bowl until combined well, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook beans in a 4- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Add potatoes to boiling water and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then drain in a colander. Halve potatoes while still warm (peel if desired) and toss with 2 tablespoons dressing in a bowl, then cool.
- Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.
- Brush tuna with oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill on lightly oiled rack, uncovered, turning over once, until browned on outside but still pink in center, 6 to 8 minutes total. Let tuna stand 3 minutes, then break into large (3-inch) pieces. Transfer tuna to a large platter and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons dressing and top with capers.
- Transfer potatoes to platter with tuna, reserving bowl. Drain beans and pat dry. Toss beans in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter. Toss lettuce in bowl with 2 tablespoons dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter. Toss tomatoes in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter.
- Arrange olives and eggs on platter and sprinkle salad with parsley and/or basil. Serve salad with remaining dressing on the side.
GRILLED TUNA NICOISE PLATTER
Steps:
- To grill the tuna, get a charcoal or stove-top cast iron grill very hot. Brush the fish with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill each side for only 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. The center should be raw, like sushi, or the tuna will be tough and dry. Arrange the tuna, haricots verts, potato salad, tomatoes, eggs, olives, watercress, and anchovies, if used, on a large flat platter.
- For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Drizzle some over the fish and vegetables and serve the rest in a pitcher on the side.
- Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.
- Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.
SALAD NICOISE WITH SEARED TUNA
Steps:
- To make the vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Screw the cap on the jar and shake the vinaigrette vigorously to emulsify. Set the dressing aside while preparing the salad so the flavors can marry.
- Cooking the potatoes, eggs, and green beans in the same pot cuts down on prep time and clean up. To do this, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, add water to cover and a nice pinch of salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer the potatoes for 12 minutes to give them a head start, and then add the eggs. Place a steamer basket or colander on top of the simmering water. Put the green beans in the steamer and cover with a lid. Steam the beans for 5 minutes until crisp-tender while continuing to cook the potatoes until fork tender. Drain out the water and put the potatoes, eggs, and green beans in a colander; rinse briefly under cold water. Peel the shells off the eggs and cut them in 1/2 lengthwise.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rub the tuna on all sides with olive oil, and a bit of the vinaigrette; season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot pan and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side; as the tuna cooks, the red meat will become whiter. Transfer the tuna to a cutting board and slice.
- To assemble the salad: combine the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, capers, and chives in a large mixing bowl. Take the vinaigrette and give it another good shake to recombine. Drizzle the salad with enough vinaigrette to fully moisten and toss gently to coat; season with salt and pepper. Take care not to mush up the ingredients - the important thing about salad nicoise is that it is arranged nicely on a platter with all the elements keeping their individual integrity. Put the tossed salad down the center of a serving platter and lay the seared tuna attractively across the top and the eggs around the rim. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.
GRILLED AHI TUNA NICOISE SALAD
Provided by Food Network
Time 2h55m
Yield 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 40
Steps:
- Trim the haricots verts, then blanch in boiling water and refresh in cold water. Drain and season with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme, to taste. Reserve in a bowl.
- Cut the onion into 1/4-inch round slices. In a small saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve in a bowl.
- In a small bowl, toss together the roasted peppers and 1/8 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing. Reserve.
- Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch round slices. Place in a small bowl, add 1/4 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing, and toss until well blended. Reserve.
- In a small bowl, toss together the tomatoes and 1/8 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing. Reserve.
- To make crostini: Arrange the bread slices in a baking tray. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool, then rub with garlic clove. For each of the crostini, spread 1 tablespoon Herbed Goat Cheese and top with 1 teaspoon Black and Green Olive Tapenade.
- In a small saucepan, over high heat, add the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sear tuna fillets until all sides are brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, keeping the centers rare. Remove from heat and slice each tuna fillet into 5 round slices.
- In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the mixed baby lettuces with 1/4 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing.
- To serve, divide the haricots verts, onion, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives into 6 portions. For each plate, arrange 3 portions of each ingredient by placing them in a clockwise fashion, starting with the haricots verts at 1, 5, and 9 o'clock positions near the rim of the plate. Continue to place the onion, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives between the haricots verts. Place quail egg halves over the peppers and an anchovy over the potatoes. Mound half of the lettuce in the center of each plate. Arrange the tuna slices on the side of the salad and top the lettuce with the crostini.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and shallots. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar. Refrigerate in a covered container. When ready to use, whisk again.
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups
- Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, Pizza, Pasta & More!, Random House, 2000 .
- In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil and crostini. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding the olive oil. Refrigerate in a covered container. Spread on homemade crostini, recipe follows.
- Yield: 1 heaping cup
- Herbed Goat Cheese: 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (7 or 8-ounce) log goat cheese
- Combine the parsley, chives, thyme, and pepper and place on a flat surface. Roll the log of cheese in the mixture, coating all sides and retaining the shape of the log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
- Yield: 1 log
- Oven-dried Tomatoes: 12 medium Roma tomatoes (2 pounds) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional as needed 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 6 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- In a pot of boiling water, blanch tomatoes. Drain and refresh in ice water. Drain. Peel, core, cut into quarters, and remove seeds.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the tomato quarters on the tray, cut side down. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and sugar, and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.
- Bake until the tomatoes begin to shrivel, about 1 hour. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer to a container. Pour olive oil over and cover the container. Refrigerate and use as needed.
- Yield: 1 1/4 cups
CLASSIC NICOISE SALAD
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 55m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
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.
NICOISE SALAD WITH GRILLED TUNA
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Heat a grill or grill-pan to medium.
- In a small bowl soak the onions in cold water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Brush the tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
- In a large bowl toss the arugula with a couple tablespoons of the vinaigrette, and divide the greens onto 4 dinner plates. In the same bowl combine the green beans, artichokes, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and fennel. Dress the vegetables with a 1/2 cup of the dressing, season with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on the greens and top the salad with the tuna steaks. Drizzle a little dressing over the tuna and serve. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
- In a small bowl, whisk the mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper together. Combine the oils in a cup with a spout. Gradually pour the oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking constantly to make a creamy dressing.
NICOISE SALAD WITH GRILLED TUNA
This is our family's favorite Nicoise salad. You can substitute canned tuna or grilled chicken for the grilled tuna. Change out the vegetables to suit your taste. The dressing is the best part - flavorful enough to stand up to the potatoes and tuna, without overwhelming the greens. I like to use a mix of lettuces in this salad - for flavor and appearance. Serving size is a generous plateful.
Provided by dianegrapegrower
Categories Tuna
Time 45m
Yield 2 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Brush tuna with lemon, olive oil, and pepper. Grill to desired degree of doneness. Set aside.
- Thoroughly combine dressing ingredients. Set aside. (We usually have a little dressing leftover).
- Heat water to boiling. Cook potatoes until tender, cool in iced water until room temperature. Remove, and pat dry. Cook green beans until crisp-tender, cool in iced water. Remove and pat dry.
- Toss salad greens and onion together. Drizzle with dressing, toss, and divide between two plates. Divide tuna between plates, and center on lettuce.
- Toss potatoes with 1-1/2 T. dressing, divide between the plates. Toss green beans with 1/2 T. dressing, and divide between the plates. Divide remaining vegetables and eggs between the plates, arranging attractively. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
SALADE NIçOISE WITH FRESH TUNA
In this elegant variation of the classic French salad, seared fresh tuna stands in for the conventional canned sort. The rest of the salad can be assembled a few hours ahead, but the tuna should be cooked and placed on top of the salad just before it is served.
Provided by Jacques Pepin
Categories salads and dressings
Time 1h
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cool water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and boil gently for 25 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but still firm when pierced with a fork. Drain off the water and set the potatoes aside until cool enough to slice.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together the mustard, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Whisk until it comes together.
- Peel the potatoes, if desired, and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Toss with the dressing.
- Bring the 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the beans, cover and return to a boil. Boil over high heat for 1 to 3 minutes (less for haricot verts and more for larger beans) until just tender but slightly firm to the bite. Drain and run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color. Cut the beans in half.
- Peel the yellow pepper as best you can with a vegetable peeler (much easier to do if the pepper is firm and thick-walled). Then cut the pepper through the pleats, remove and discard the seeds and continue peeling the skin from the pieces. Pile up the peeled pepper wedges and cut them into thin julienne strips (about 1 1/2 cups). Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, press out the seeds and cut the unpeeled flesh into 1-inch pieces.
- No more than 1 hour before serving, add the beans, yellow pepper, red onions, tomatoes and black olives to the potatoes. Mix well.
- When almost ready to serve, heat 1 large cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes, until very hot. Sprinkle the tuna with the remaining 2 teaspoons of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt and then roll in the canola oil. Place the tuna steak in the hot skillet and sauté over high heat for about 2 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned on the outside and cooked until rare on the inside. Cut into 1/2-inch slices.
- To serve, line a large platter with the lettuce leaves. Mound the salade niçoise in the center of the platter and place the sliced tuna and the basil leaves on top. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 350, UnsaturatedFat 16 grams, Carbohydrate 23 grams, Fat 20 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 991 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams
GRILLED TUNA SALAD NICOISE
Anyone having access to fresh tuna knows that canned stuff does not taste like tuna. This doesn't need to be chilled very long. Serve on greens, maybe a little chopped egg on top
Provided by chef blade
Categories Tuna
Time 40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Whisk together oil, liquids, and seasonings.
- In large bowl, pour over tomato, olives, beans, onion and potatoes.
- Refrigerate.
- Grill tuna steaks (preferably over charcoal) until just barely pink in the middle.
- Gently break up with fingers and lightly toss with veggies.
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the flavor of your salad.
- Don't overcook the tuna. It should be cooked just until it is opaque in the center.
- Make the dressing ahead of time. This will give the flavors time to meld.
- Use a variety of greens in your salad. This will add color, texture, and flavor.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients. There are many variations of Niçoise salad, so feel free to add your own personal touches.
Conclusion:
Niçoise salad is a delicious and refreshing dish that is perfect for a summer meal. It is also a very versatile salad, so you can easily customize it to your own liking. Whether you are a fan of seafood or not, there is sure to be a Niçoise salad recipe that you will enjoy.
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