This classic hearty salad originated in the French city of Nice (hence the name niçoise = in the style of Nice), and can now be found all over the world, with dozens of variations. The traditional version is a flavorful and satisfying combo that includes lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, tuna, anchovies, Niçoise olives, and hardboiled eggs, with an olive-oil-based vinaigrette. Common additional ingredients include artichoke hearts, onions, shallots, radishes, and bell peppers.
Many versions also include red-skinned potatoes or fresh corn, but we’ll be skipping those due to their high carb content (just one medium red potato contains 24 grams of carbohydrates = 6 teaspoons of sugar, and one cup of fresh corn contains 29 grams of carbs = 7 teaspoons of sugar, not to mention loads of gut-irritating lectins. Yikes!)
Check out my free, handy cheat sheet, with the carb content of dozens of common fruits and veggies – print it out and pop it on your fridge for easy reference. 😊
Like all of my recipes, this salad is quick, easy and delicious, is great for casual weeknight dinners but also fancy enough for company, and is Paleo, low carb, Keto, cleanketo, and Whole30 friendly. And, if you leave out the tomatoes, it’s also on-plan for my popular and powerful 10-Day Detox program (add radishes and/or scallions for a bigger detox boost!)
Note: if you’re not a fan of Niçoise olives, skip them, or try some of these alternatives instead!
Salade Niçoise
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 4 eggs hardboiled, peeled and quartered
- 6 oz green beans trimmed and steamed
- 2 tomatoes cut into wedges
- 4 cups salad greens
- ¾ cup Niçoise olives or similar
- 1 lb ahi tuna
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil until well combined.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Set asie.
- Grill tuna over a hot barbecue or pan sear over high heat for one minute on each side for rare (or 2-3 minutes per side if you prefer well-cooked tuna).
- Slice each piece of tuna into very thin slices.
- Toss mixed greens with half of the dressing.
- Arrange greens on plates with green beans, eggs, tomatoes and olives.
- Top salads with tuna slices and top with remaining dressing.
- Serve immediately. (If you want to make this salad ahead of time, prep each of the ingredients into separate sealed containers/covered bowls and refrigerate until 30 minutes before meal time, then combine as above just before serving.)
Nutrition
