Niçoise Salad
This classic French Niçoise salad follows the fresh, mainly raw style from Nice, with ripe vegetables, tuna, anchovies, eggs, basil and olive oil. No potatoes or cooked green beans; ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs organic
- 6 ripe vine tomatoes quartered
- 150 g (regular tin) canned tuna in brine or oil, drained
- 8 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
- ½ cucumber peeled, seeded and sliced
- 2 handfuls Mesclun or rocket leaves
- 1 small red or green pepper deseeded and thinly sliced
- 100 g (3½oz) Niçoise olives with stones
- 1 spring onion or shallot finely sliced
- 6 baby purple artichokes (if in season) raw and sliced (or handful or tender fresh broad beans)
Dressing
- 4 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 clove garlic crushed to a pulp
- 12 fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- sea salt Maldon salt flakes or Celtic salt
- black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Cook the eggs. Lower the eggs carefully into gently simmering water and cook for 9-10 minutes. Transfer immediately to cold water, then peel and cut into quarters.
- Prepare the vegetables. Salt the tomatoes lightly. Halve the cucumber lengthways, scoop out the seeds and slice finely. Prepare the pepper, spring onion and artichokes or broad beans.
- Arrange the salad. Spread the leaves over a large platter. Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, spring onion, artichokes or broad beans, tuna, anchovies and olives on top. Add the quartered eggs.
- Make the dressing. Mix the crushed garlic, olive oil and basil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Dress and serve. Spoon the dressing over the salad immediately before serving.
Notes
Seasonal vegetables: Use ripe tomatoes and young, tender vegetables. Slice small purple artichokes thinly while raw.
Tuna and anchovies: Use either fish or both, according to taste. Drain them well before adding to the salad.
Niçoise olives: These small dark olives normally come with their stones. Substitute another small black olive if necessary.
Watch the salt: Tuna, anchovies and olives already contain salt, so taste before adding more.
Milder garlic: Rub a cut garlic clove around the serving platter instead of adding it directly to the dressing.
Prepare ahead: Cook the eggs and prepare the vegetables a few hours ahead, but store them separately. Assemble and dress the salad shortly before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 344kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 19gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 688mgPotassium: 727mgFiber: 11gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3815IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 122mgIron: 4mg
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