Overhead view of salade Nicoise.

Mains

Salade Niçoise

By John Becker

•

November 18, 2024

This salad is an essential part of our hot weather dining repertoire. Along with bún thit nuong, it’s one of those summer-friendly dishes that’s plenty hearty but also light and fresh-tasting enough for the dog days. I would put fattoush into this category as well, with the addition of a skewer or two of grilled lamb or chicken. (Find fattoush on page 128 of the 2019 edition!)

As with any good hall-of-famer, Niçoise is easy to adapt to circumstances and your whim. The salad pictured above actually takes several liberties, the most notable of which is the shingled English cucumber slices (born of not having enough tomatoes). A little more subtle is the small mound of nasturtium “capers” we made several summers ago.*

*If you have a bunch of nasturtiums growing in the yard, I cannot recommend this pickle highly enough. Like nasturtium leaves, the seed pods have a spicy, horseradish-y bite to them. Once pickled, the ridged pods take on a juicy caper-like texture.

Niçoise olives are (you guessed it) the authentic choice here.* That particular variety is not the hardest to find, but if I had to guess, I would say we have made a special effort to source Niçoise olives for this salad two or three times. Whether you have a handful of Kalamatas on hand or some Castelvetranos hanging out in the back of your fridge, this salad will accommodate. (I would think twice about using oil-cured olives whole, but chopped should be fine.)

Then, there’s the matter of tuna. Since it’s the focal point of the salad—and not manipulated or seasoned very much—we recommend splurging on the best olive oil-packed tuna you can afford. Some insist that tuna or anchovies can be used, but never both. I’m not sure what the reasoning here is, as they are not exactly interchangeable! We like adding both, and encourage you to do the same. If you’re willing to get fresh fish and don’t mind firing up the grill, tuna or salmon steaks work wonderfully here, too. This might make people we respect a little upset, but the results are delicious.

You may want to abandon the “composed” platter approach for serving grilled fish Niçoise. Just plate the dressed greens and vegetables, top each with a portion of sliced grilled fish, and garnish as directed. In fact, we rarely take the platter approach, traditional and impressive though it may be. There are practical reasons to just plate each serving of Nićoise before it gets to the table. Doing so certainly avoids the inevitable mess. There are advantages from a taste perspective as well: we like to dress each component in a mixing bowl before plating, which ensures that every green bean and potato is well-seasoned.

Salade Niçoise

YIELD

4 to 6 servings

PREP TIME

10

COOK TIME

45

Ingredients
  • 6 small red potatoes or 12 fingerling potatoes
  • Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice
  • (1 teaspoon minced shallot)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced, grated on a rasp grater, or mashed to a paste
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 pound green beans (preferably haricots verts)
  • 1 head Boston lettuce, separated into leaves, or about 5 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens
  • 2 large tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (8 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 4 green onions
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley or thinly sliced basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • Up to 6 anchovy fillets
Equipment

Place in a large saucepan:

6 small red potatoes or 12 fingerling potatoes

1 tablespoon fine salt 

Add cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. 

As the potatoes cook, combine in a medium bowl:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice

(1 teaspoon minced shallot)

1 small garlic clove, minced, grated on a rasp grater, or mashed to a paste

2 teaspoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Whisk until blended. Add gradually, whisking constantly after each addition:

3/4 cup olive oil

Set the dressing aside. 

Remove the potatoes from the simmering water with a slotted spoon and let cool. Carefully add to the water:

5 large eggs

Cook for 8 minutes if you prefer your eggs with fudgy, barely-set yolks. (For fully set yolks, cook for 10 minutes.) Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Transfer the eggs to the ice water with a slotted spoon to stop cooking. 

Increase the heat to bring the water to a rapid boil. Add and boil until bright green but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes:

1 pound green beans (preferably haricots verts), trimmed 

Transfer to the bowl of ice water. Let cool and drain well. Place in a medium bowl. 

Cut the cooled potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices and add to the bowl with the beans. 

When the eggs are cool, remove their shells and cut each one in half lengthwise.

Drizzle one-quarter of the dressing over the potatoes and beans and gently toss to coat. Arrange on a large platter:

1 head Boston lettuce, separated into leaves, or about 5 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens

2 large tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each, or 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (8 ounces), halved

Drizzle another one-quarter of the dressing on top. Arrange the green beans and potatoes on the platter, followed by the halved hard-boiled eggs and:

6 ounces canned tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, drained and flaked 

Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Scatter over the top:

1/2 cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup minced parsley or thinly sliced basil leaves

2 tablespoons drained capers

Up to 6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry

Sprinkle with:

Fine salt and black pepper to taste

About the Author

John Becker, Irma’s great-grandson, is the fourth generation co-author and steward of the Joy of Cooking. John has a background in literature, research, and critical writing. Influenced by his father Ethan’s improvisational style and his mother Joan’s love of international foods and spices, John started experimenting in the kitchen at a young age, whether in his mother’s Portland, Oregon condo or at the Becker family home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Many decades later, he continues to revisit Joy’s classic dishes while exploring new recipes, ingredients, and ways of thinking about home cooking.

Things that are true about John

  • When left to his own devices, John will slather his morning toast with fried chili paste instead of jam (unless its apricot).
  • John has probably used 5 forms of garlic in the last 24 hours.
  • John is a soda and bitters enthusiast.
  • Sometimes John struggles in the kitchen, even when he’s making something he basically knows by heart.
  • John is a recent convert to the chicken bouillon powder faith.
  • John is a pan juice aficionado.
  • John has gotten a speeding ticket while trying to keep Sichuan takeout from getting cold.
  • Grilling fish for company stresses John out.
  • John is impatient when making dark roux.
  • John thinks fried potato snacks belong in more sandwiches.
  • John is a recovering garlic press hater.
  • John thinks baby tongs are much better than culinary tweezers.
Portrait of John Becker, seated at a table behind several stacks of the 2019 edition of the Joy of Cooking. His head gently rests against an upturned arm. John is smiling genuinely, and not making a silly face, which is rare (and why this particular image has been chosen).
Joy of Cooking illustration
Joy of Cooking illustration
Joy of Cooking illustration
Joy of Cooking illustration

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