Classic Niçoise Salad
Bright Niçoise salad with tuna, potatoes, green beans and an easy French vinaigrette. Quick prep, make-ahead dressing, and tips for jammy eggs.
A vibrant, bistro-style Niçoise salad is all about balance—briny olives, creamy potatoes, crisp greens, and tender tuna, all tied together with a punchy vinaigrette. While recipes & preferences for this salad often vary, this is our favorite style. Our Classic French Dressing Mix makes crafting this Provençal favorite effortless, infusing it with bold, herbaceous depth.
- Use the Classic French Vinaigrette Mix plus olive oil and white wine vinegar to make a bold dressing in minutes; it improves after resting and keeps up to one week.
- Cook potatoes until fork-tender and toss warm with a bit of dressing; blanch green beans 1-2 minutes and shock in ice water for crisp-tender texture.
- Assemble just before serving for best texture, or store components separately for up to 2 days; eggs reach jammy doneness at 7-8 minutes in boiling water.
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Preparation Instructions:
To make the French Vinaigrette, add 2 tbsp Classic French Vinaigrette Mix to a mason jar with 2/3 cup olive oil and 1/3 cup white wine vinegar; shake well. Make a day ahead for extra flavor, and store in the fridge for up to one week.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and toss with 1 tablespoon of vinaigrette while warm.
In the same water, blanch green beans for 1-2 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.
Bring a separate pot of water to a gentle boil. Add eggs and cook for 7-8 minutes for jammy yolks or 10 minutes for firm yolks. Transfer eggs to an ice bath, peel, and slice in half.
Arrange mixed greens on a large serving platter. Top with potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, tuna, olives, capers, red onion, and eggs.
Drizzle generously with the Classic French Vinaigrette. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and a pinch of sea salt. Enjoy!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh seared tuna instead of canned tuna?
Yes. Pat tuna dry, season lightly, and sear in a hot pan 1-2 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, depending on thickness. Let it rest 3 minutes, then slice thin and arrange over the salad.
How far ahead can I make the vinaigrette?
Make it a day ahead for deeper flavor and store it in the fridge up to one week. Shake well before using because the oil and vinegar separate.
What is the easiest way to get jammy eggs?
Bring water to a gentle boil, lower eggs in, and cook 7-8 minutes for jammy yolks or 10 minutes for firm yolks. Move eggs to an ice bath immediately, then peel and halve.
How do I blanch green beans so they stay crisp?
Boil salted water, add trimmed beans for 1-2 minutes until bright green and just tender, then plunge them into an ice bath to stop cooking and preserve crunch.
Which potatoes work best and how do I prepare them?
Small baby potatoes or fingerlings are ideal. Halve them and boil about 10 minutes until fork-tender. Toss warm potatoes with a tablespoon of vinaigrette so they absorb flavor.
Can I assemble the salad ahead of time or store leftovers?
For best texture, assemble right before serving. If you need to prep, keep greens, tuna, potatoes, beans, eggs, and dressing separate in the fridge. Components keep 1 to 2 days; the dressing lasts up to one week.
Is this salad gluten-free or easy to make vegetarian?
The salad is naturally gluten-free if the vinaigrette mix has no gluten-containing ingredients. To make it vegetarian, omit tuna and add extra eggs, white beans, or marinated tofu.
How much dressing should I use for this recipe?
The vinaigrette recipe yields about 1 cup. Use 1 tablespoon to toss warm potatoes, then drizzle the rest over the assembled salad. Add more to taste, but avoid over-saturating the greens.
Can I use fresh seared tuna instead of canned tuna?
Yes. Pat tuna dry, season lightly, and sear in a hot pan 1-2 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare, depending on thickness. Let it rest 3 minutes, then slice thin and arrange over the salad.
How far ahead can I make the vinaigrette?
Make it a day ahead for deeper flavor and store it in the fridge up to one week. Shake well before using because the oil and vinegar separate.
What is the easiest way to get jammy eggs?
Bring water to a gentle boil, lower eggs in, and cook 7-8 minutes for jammy yolks or 10 minutes for firm yolks. Move eggs to an ice bath immediately, then peel and halve.
How do I blanch green beans so they stay crisp?
Boil salted water, add trimmed beans for 1-2 minutes until bright green and just tender, then plunge them into an ice bath to stop cooking and preserve crunch.
Which potatoes work best and how do I prepare them?
Small baby potatoes or fingerlings are ideal. Halve them and boil about 10 minutes until fork-tender. Toss warm potatoes with a tablespoon of vinaigrette so they absorb flavor.
Can I assemble the salad ahead of time or store leftovers?
For best texture, assemble right before serving. If you need to prep, keep greens, tuna, potatoes, beans, eggs, and dressing separate in the fridge. Components keep 1 to 2 days; the dressing lasts up to one week.
Is this salad gluten-free or easy to make vegetarian?
The salad is naturally gluten-free if the vinaigrette mix has no gluten-containing ingredients. To make it vegetarian, omit tuna and add extra eggs, white beans, or marinated tofu.
How much dressing should I use for this recipe?
The vinaigrette recipe yields about 1 cup. Use 1 tablespoon to toss warm potatoes, then drizzle the rest over the assembled salad. Add more to taste, but avoid over-saturating the greens.
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