This Tuna Niçoise Salad elevates a humble can of tuna into an elegant, fancy, and bright-tasting salad. The salad greens are topped with a myriad of veggies and potatoes, olive-oil-packed tuna, and the best light lemon vinaigrette to tie everything together beautifully.
Quick Tip
How Is Niçoise Salad Pronounced?
Niçoise is pronounced “nee·swaaz.” (Here’s where to hear it and practice if you’re interested.) The name comes from Nice, the French city where it originated. Oh, and by the way, the funny-looking mark on the letter C is called a cedilla.
Tuna Niçoise Salad Recipe
A great, creamy, mayo-based Tuna Salad is a favorite at my home, but when we’re craving something a little lighter, nothing beats this salad!
From the olive-oil-packed tuna to the light and zippy lemon vinaigrette to the myriad of veggies — this salad is the definition of light and fresh! Not only is every bite delicious, but it leaves your body feeling nourished and fueled.
Feel free to make this salad your own — add more or less of the veggies you like, leaving out any you aren’t as fond as. This salad is meant to be a bit of an artistic creation — compose the ingredients across the greens that you like best, however you feel looks best!
What Is Niçoise Salad Dressing Made Of?
Speaking of the lemon vinaigrette — this dressing is well worth the few minutes it takes to make; it’s fresh and vibrant tasting with so much flavor — it makes this Tuna Niçoise Salad! Here are the main ingredients:
- Dijon mustard. We love Grey Poupon® Dijon best. Make sure to use Dijon, not yellow mustard.
- Olive oil. We recommend extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. Better oil = better flavor.
- Honey. Add less for a tangier dressing, and more for a sweeter one.
- Lemons. We use fresh lemon juice because bottled lemon juice doesn’t offer the same flavor as fresh, and we need the lemon zest, too.
- Salt & pepper. Every dressing needs salt and pepper, and this vinaigrette is no exception. Add to taste preference, remembering that an extra pinch can be the difference between a good and a stellar dressing!
What Is A Tuna Niçoise Salad?
This composed salad typically includes sliced hard-boiled eggs, canned tuna, tomatoes, and other fresh vegetables. The actual ingredients in the salad typically vary depending on what produce is in season (and depending on who is making it — there have been many variations of this salad and a lot of debate on the “proper” way to make it!).
This salad is dressed in olive oil or an olive oil-based dressing; we love a lemon vinaigrette on top!
Quick Tip
Tuna Niçoise is a composed salad. Composed salads are arranged on a plate or platter, rather than being tossed in a large bowl.
What Is In A Tuna Nicoise Salad?
- Canned tuna packed in olive oil. Tuna packed in olive oil is richer and has a fresher flavor. Albacore is the lightest of the tuna meats, so it doesn’t have a fishy flavor. IMO, the best canned tuna for Niçoise Salad is Genova’s® albacore tuna.
- Veggies. We love English/Persian salad cucumbers, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, golden potatoes, and blanched green beans best in this salad.
- Hard-boiled eggs. The eggs add protein and flavor. While making hard-boiled eggs is easy, it can be time-consuming. For an easier salad, grab store-bought hard-boiled eggs. (a lot of stores sell eggs that have been hard boiled for your convenience.)
How To Make A Tuna Niçoise Salad
The full recipe is below, but here are a few tips!
- First, chop, wash, and thoroughly dry the Romaine lettuce before tossing it with the dressing. (We love using a salad spinner!) Wet lettuce waters down the dressing, and as a result, the salad won’t be as pleasant. Therefore, if time permits, chill the washed (and dried) lettuce along with the salad dressing, and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
- We love using crisp and flavorful cucumbers like English or Persian (sometimes labeled salad cucumbers) cucumbers.
- Chill veggies ahead of time if possible — the salad tastes best with chilled ingredients!
Storage
Tuna Niçoise Salad Storage
- This salad doesn’t keep well with the dressing because it makes the veggies wilt quickly. Also, everything will taste a bit fishy (and like olives) if it sits for too long.
- If you aren’t planning to eat the whole salad in one go, it’s best to add the dressing, tuna, and olives to just the amount you’ll eat at that time. The undressed salad stays fresh for 1-2 days.
More Tuna Recipes:
- Tuna Casserole made in one pan!
- Tuna Melts with a melty Cheddar topping
- Mediterranean Tuna Salad with roasted red pepper
- Tuna Stack with rice and mashed avocado
- Tuna Salad Wrap with crisp veggies
Tuna Nicoise Salad
Equipment
- Medium pot
Ingredients
Salad
- 1-1/3 cup baby Yukon Gold potatoes 7 ounces, 8 to 10 mini potatoes
- 1 cup green beans trimmed and halved
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup salad cucumbers halved
- 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce 1/2 head, see note 1
- 2 hard-boiled eggs peeled and quartered, see note 2
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives drained
- 10 ounces tuna in olive oil drained, see note 3
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic optional
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 large lemon optional, for juice and zest
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a wide-mouth jar, combine all dressing ingredients. If using lemon, zest and juice it to get 1/4 teaspoon zest and 1-1/2 tablespoons juice; add to jar. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, then shake well to combine. If using a bowl, whisk briskly. Ensure honey is fully incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Add whole baby potatoes to a pot and cover with 1 inch water. Bring to a boil, salt the water, and cook until tender, 15–20 minutes. Meanwhile, trim and halve green beans. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes, keeping the water boiling. Boil green beans until crisp-tender, 2–5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Cut cooled potatoes into halves or quarters.
- Coarsely chop Romaine lettuce and place in a large bowl. Only add dressing, tuna, and olives to the portion you plan to eat immediately. Toss with some dressing. Add remaining ingredients decoratively on top, drizzle with more dressing, toss gently, and serve immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Add 1 inch of hot water to a large pot with a steamer insert.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then add eggs to the steamer and cover.
- Steam for 13 minutes.
- Transfer eggs to an ice water bath for 15 minutes to cool, then peel under cool running water, starting from the wider end for easier shell removal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
