Niçoise Salad-French Recipe With Tuna Green Beans and Baby Potatoes
Niçoise salad is one of those classic French dishes that sparks endless debate. Even chefs in Nice—where the salad originates—don’t always agree on what belongs in it.
The traditional version was simple: tomatoes, olives, tuna or anchovies, and eggs, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Over time, this salad evolved, and today you’ll find versions with potatoes, green beans, and different dressings.
This is my take on a Niçoise salad—fresh, balanced, and satisfying, with tender potatoes, crisp green beans, soft-boiled eggs, and a bright lemon Dijon dressing.
Why you’ll love Niçoise Salad?
This Niçoise salad is fresh, satisfying, and full of texture. The combination of tender baby potatoes, crisp green beans, soft-boiled eggs, and flaky tuna makes it a complete meal. The lemon Dijon dressing ties everything together with a bright, vibrant flavor. This recipe is also meal prep friendly, because you can cook some of the ingredients ahead of time and assemble quiqly before serving. The Niçoise salad is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, making it a great option for those with dietary restrictions. Thanks to the tuna and olive oil, it also provides heart-healthy fats that may support a healthy cardiovascular system. With a balance of vegetables, lean protein, and nourishing fats, this is the kind of salad that feels both light and filling at the same time.
Ingredients for the Niçoise salad
For the Salad:
- Baby potatoes – I used multicolored for this recipes, but you can use any color you like.
- Green beans -you can use fresh or frozen green beans for this recipe.
- Large eggs – I use pasture-raised or organic eggs
- Romaine lettuce. You can use any lettuce you have and like. I’ve prepared this salad with iceberg lettuce too.
- Cherry tomatoes – or grape tomatoes will work for this recipe.
- Olives – I use a variety of olives Some of the olives I used for this recipe had pits. I prefer olives with pits because they have more flavor. Avoid serving olives with pits to small kids and elderly.
- Canned tuna in water – For this recipe I used tuna with a low mercury content. If you are pregnant and you try to avoid tuna you can replace the tuna with salmon or sardines.
For the Dressing:
- Extra virgin olive oil – Use high-quality olive oil. It makes a big difference in flavor for the dressing.
- Honey – high quality honey will give you the best tasting dressing
- Dijon mustard – creamy mustard is best. Do not use stone ground mustard for this recipe
- Lemon – use only freshly squeezed lemon juice for this dressing.
- Fresh herbs (parsley, chives, thyme recommended) -I use a variety of herbs because I have a garden, but you can pick any of your favorite herbs.
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How to Make Niçoise Salad
1. Cook the Potatoes
- Wash and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
- Boil in salted water for 10 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Drain and let cool before slicing.
2. Cook the Green Beans
- Trim and cut green beans into bite-sized pieces.
- Boil in salted water for 8–10 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking.
3. Prepare Soft-Boiled Eggs
- Bring eggs to room temperature.
- Boil in enough water to cover: 8 minutes for small, 9 minutes for large eggs.
- For hard-boiled, cook 11–12 minutes.
- Transfer to an ice bath, cool, then peel.
4. Make the Dressing
- In a jar, combine olive oil, honey, mustard, chopped herbs, and lemon juice.
- Season with salt and pepper. Shake well until combined.
5. Assemble the Salad
- Wash and chop the lettuce.
- Slice potatoes, quarter the eggs, drain the tuna.
- On a large plate, layer lettuce, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, tuna, olives, eggs, and green beans.
- Drizzle with dressing, toss lightly, and serve immediately.
Helpful Tips for the Perfect Niçoise Salad
- Customize to your taste. Swap lettuce types, use sardines instead of tuna, or add a few chopped anchovies to the dressing for depth.they cook.
- Use fresh, reliable eggs. Runny yolks carry a small risk of salmonella. Avoid serving undercooked eggs to kids, pregnant women, older adults, and immunocompromised people.
- Adjust potato size. Slice larger baby potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Small potatoes can be left whole.
- Potatoes go in cold water. Always start with cold water for even cooking.
- Green beans go into boiling water. This keeps them tender-crisp.
- Shock green beans in ice water. Preserves their bright green color and crisp texture.
- Season the cooking water. Add salt to the potato and green bean water to naturally season the vegetables.
- Dress at the last minute. Add dressing right before serving to keep lettuce fresh and avoid sogginess.
- Serve immediately. Niçoise salad tastes best fresh, when eggs, potatoes, and greens are at peak texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make Niçoise salad ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare most of the components ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. Cook the baby potatoes, blanch the green beans, and boil the eggs in advance. You can also mix the dressing and keep it in a sealed jar. When you’re ready to serve, simply assemble the salad for the freshest texture and flavor.
Can I substitute the tuna in Niçoise salad?
Yes, tuna can be replaced with canned sardines for a richer flavor. Anchovies are not a good substitute for tuna, as they are much saltier and can easily overpower the salad. However, you can finely chop a small amount of anchovies and add them to the dressing instead of salt for extra depth.
What type of lettuce works best for Niçoise salad?
You can use a variety of leafy greens depending on your preference. Romaine lettuce works well for its crisp texture, but iceberg, green leaf lettuce, or a mix of arugula and spinach are also great options. Choose what you enjoy most.
How do you make soft-boiled eggs for Niçoise salad?
Soft-boiled eggs add a creamy texture to the salad. For step-by-step instructions, check out my detailed egg boiling guide, where I cover soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs.
Can you store leftover Niçoise salad?
It’s best to avoid storing fully assembled Niçoise salad, as the lettuce will wilt once it’s dressed. For best results, store the individual components—potatoes, green beans, eggs, and dressing—separately in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days, and assemble just before serving.
Serving
Niçoise salad is versatile and can be served as a main dish or a side. For the best flavor and texture, serve it fresh and cold. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving and enjoy immediately to keep the lettuce crisp and the vegetables vibrant.
Storage
It’s best to avoid storing fully assembled Niçoise salad, as the lettuce will wilt once dressed. Instead, store individual components separately in the refrigerator. Cooked potatoes, blanched green beans, boiled eggs, and dressing can be kept for 2–3 days. If packing the salad for lunch, keep the lettuce and dressing in separate containers and combine with the other ingredients just before eating.
Niçoise Salad-French Recipe With Tuna Green Beans and Baby Potatoes
Ingredients
For the salad
- 8 oz baby potatoes
- 8 oz green beans fresh or frozen
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Romaine lettuce
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup olives I used different varieties
- 1 canned tuna in water 5 oz drained
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- the juice from one lemon or more to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs I used a mix of parsley, chives and thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To cook the potatoes
- Wash the potatoes and cut them to bite size pieces. Place them in a pot with cold water. Bring the water to boil and add some salt. Boil for about 10 minutes or until they are fork-tender. Once they are ready drain the water. Allow them to cool down.
To cook the green beans
- Add another pot filled with water on the stovetop. Bring it to a boil. Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Cut them to bite sized pieces. Add a pinch of salt and the green beans to the boiling water. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the green beans are tender but still slightly crisp. Drain the water and immediately add to a bowl filled with cold water and ice.
To prepare soft boiled eggs
- Remove the eggs from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature. Fill a medium pot with enough water to cover an egg. Bring the water to boil. Use a spoon to add the eggs to the boiling water. If you want them medium to soft boiled set a timer for 8 minutes for smaller eggs and 9 minutes for bigger eggs. If you want them hard boiled increase the time for 11-12 minutes. While the eggs are cooking prepare a bowl with an ice bath. Once the timer beeps use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them in the ice bath. Cool off for few minutes and peel.
To make the dressing
- Add the olive oil, honey, mustard and lemon juice in jar. Chop the fresh herbs finely and add them to the same jar. Season with salt and pepper to taste close the lid and shake well.
To assemble the salad
- Peel and cut the eggs to quarters. Wash and chop the lettuce. Drain and crumble the tuna. Place the lettuce on a large plate, then add the cooked green beans, quartered eggs, olives, tuna, cherry tomatoes and sliced potatoes. Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad.
- Stir well to combine and serve right away.
Other recipes With canned Tuna you might like
Chickpea Tuna Avocado Salad (Easy)