Traditional Nicoise salad is a healthy French main dish salad perfect for spring or summer. With tuna, green beans, potatoes, hard boiled egg, and a tangy vinaigrette dressing, it’s a hearty, low carb dinner salad that’s a meal in itself. This classic gourmet recipe is sure to be a hit for seafood lovers!
In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-8 minutes, until tender but still firm when pierced with a fork (may take longer if you're using larger potatoes). Remove potatoes to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, but don't dump out the boiling water.
Add haricots verts or green beans to the boiling water and boil for 2-4 minutes or until tender-crisp (may take longer if you're using regular green beans rather than haricots verts). Remove green beans to ice water.
In a medium bowl or glass measuring cup, mix together all dressing ingredients except the olive oil. Drizzle in olive oil slowly while whisking constantly.
If using fresh tuna steaks, heat a medium skillet to medium high heat. Pat tuna steaks dry and rub with some canola oil, salt and pepper. (olive oil will smoke at high heat). Cook 4-6 minutes per half-inch thickness, flipping once, or until fish starts to flake easily when tested with a fork. Cool and then flake apart into bite-sized chunks by hand. If you'd like your tuna rare instead, cook 1 1/2 minutes per side, then cut into slices with a sharp knife.
Optional: Toast the capers in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they are a little crispy on the edges. You can use them straight out of the jar if you'd like to skip an extra dish, but if you're already cooking fresh tuna it's easy to just throw the capers in the same pan after you remove the tuna.
In a separate large bowl, toss about half of the vinaigrette with the greens, then divide greens onto two plates. Cut cooked, cooled potatoes into quarters, then toss with a little dressing in the bowl, and arrange onto plates. Repeat with beans and tomatoes, radishes, and tuna.
Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) onto plates as well. Top with capers and drizzle with any remaining dressing.
Notes
All salad ingredient quantities are approximations - if you love a particular ingredient, add more, or if you don't like one, skip it!