Easy, Classic Niçoise Salad with Variations
This Classic Niçoise Salad is an easy, healthy, delicious, and kid-friendly recipe that you can prepare ahead of time. The Honey-Mustard Dressing ties everything together!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 head lettuce
1 cucumber, sliced into half moons
1 pint (551ml) cherry tomatoes
24 oz (680g) baby potatoes
1 lb (454g) green beans
1–2 eggs per person
Mixed olives (pitted for kids)
Capers
2–3 canned tuna or canned white anchovies
Honey-Mustard Dressing (found in the June Meal Plan)
Instructions
1. Prepare Your Vegetables:
- Start by washing the lettuce in a salad spinner and tearing the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the cucumbers into half moons.
- Add the baby potatoes to a pot with cold water, bring to a boil, and boil for about 17 minutes until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon, transferring to a bowl or plate, and set aside; don’t throw away the water!
- Add the green beans to the pot of potato water, return to a boil, and lower to a simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Perfectly Boil the Eggs: This can be done simultaneously to boiling the potatoes and green beans. Using a ladle or large spoon, gently submerge your eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and once boiling, set the timer for 7.5 minutes. When the timer goes off transfer the eggs to an ice bath to cool. This ensures they are cooked just right, with a slightly soft yolk, and makes them easier to peel when ready.
3. Assemble Your Salad: In a large serving bowl or platter, layer your lettuce as the base. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes, green beans, cucumber slices, mixed olives, and capers. Top with the tuna and/or white anchovies, and finish by placing peeled and halved hard-boiled eggs on top. Or, keep things separate as pictured, allowing each person to assemble their own salad with desired ingredients on their plates. This also makes it easy to store and repurpose leftovers.
4. Dress and Serve: I prefer to dress the salad individually, so that leftovers can be stored without going soggy. Each person can drizzle Honey-Mustard Dressing (found in the June Meal Plan) over their salad and enjoy immediately.
5. Store leftover salad (up to 3 days) and dressing (up to 2 weeks) separately in the refrigerator.
Notes
Prep ahead:
- Up to 3 days ahead, you can: wash lettuce and store in a ziplock bag, half cherry tomatoes, slice cucumber, and prepare potatoes, green beans, and eggs. Store each component separately in airtight containers, or in sections in a large container, for up to 5 days.
- Prepare the dressing up to 2 weeks ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, allow to come to room temperature.
Component cooking: This is the ultimate component cooking dish, allowing every eater to choose from a variety of healthy options and dress their final salad themselves.
Shortcuts: Buy pre-cut, pre-washed lettuce, pre-trimmed and washed (or frozen) green beans, and pre-made Honey-Mustard Dressing
Substitutions: Replace canned tuna or anchovies with canned salmon, or grilled salmon or chicken. For a Vegan variation, swap canned seafood for beans. You can be creative and add add in other vegetables your family prefers, like sliced peppers or sweet potatoes.
Additions: You can add canned beans and other favorite veggies, like sliced carrots and peppers.
