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Salad Nicoise | Weston Table

Small Plates

Salade Niçoise
This is an ideal cold salad for hot summer days and should only be made when greens and tomatoes are at their peak and then only if high quality oil-packed tuna is available. Known as a composed salad (arranged on a platter rather than tossed in a bowl), this is a vibrant combination of greens and proteins most often eaten as a full meal rather than a side dish. Cold cooked shrimp may be substituted for the tuna. Either way, this pretty platter is best served with grilled bread and a bottle of Provence rosé. Take a bite of the salad and a sip of the wine, close your eyes, and for a moment you may find yourself imagining yourself on eating at a café on the Côte d'Azure.
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cuisine French
difficulty Simple
season Summer
serves 4

For the salad

  • 4 cups salad greens
  • 10 small radicchio leaves
  • 8 ounces haricot verts
  • 8 cocktail tomatoes
  • 1 pound small yukon gold potatoes
  • 1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 anchovy filets
  • 10 ounces high quality pole & line tuna fillets in olive oil
  • 3 radishes, finely sliced
  • 1 mini cucumber, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

For the dressing

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small shallot, minced

Directions for the Dressing

  1. Place the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, and garlic in a blender or small food processor and process until the dressing is emulsified.
  2. Add the mustard, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and whirr to combine. Taste for seasoning, and add seasonings to taste. Reserve.

Directions for the Salad

  1. Add the potatoes to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil for 10 minutes or until easily pierced with a skewer. Drain the potatoes in colander. Cover the potatoes with a towel and let steam for 10 minutes. Cool, cut in to 1/4" slices, sprinkle with champagne vinegar, and reserve.
  2. In another pot of boiling salted water add the haricot verts, cook for one minute, drain, and plunge into an ice bath. When cool pat dry and reserve.
  3. In a medium pot, cover 4 eggs with cold water. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from water, run under cold water for 1 minutes. Crack, remove shells. Slice  into halves and then into quarters.
  4. On a large platter, arrange the lettuce and radicchio leaves. 
  5. Pile the potatoes, cucumber and radish slices into separate piles on the plate.
  6. Place the green beans over the plate in two piles.
  7. Drizzle a bit of the dressing over the greens, potatoes, cucumber, radishes, and beans.
  8. Tuck the tomatoes, eggs, olives, and anchovy filets around the plate.
  9. In the center of the plate, drop the tuna and finish with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.
  10. Pass the remaining dressing at the table. 

Kitchen Notes

Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil (not too bitter or spicy) for the best dressing. The dressing lasts up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Pole & line caught tuna is chunky and delicious. Our favorite brand is Tonnino and is available nationwide at Whole Foods. A hand held mandoline makes slicing the vegetables quick and uniform.
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