Whenever she visits France, Real Food Traveler’s Europe Editor, Irvina Lew, seeks out the iconic Salade Nicoise at some of her favorite restaurants. She also makes the hearty, main dish meal at home, whether that’s a home-away-from-home apartment in France, or in her own kitchen back in the United States. Enjoy Irvina’s article about her French forays in the link below. Then, try your hand at making this Tuna Nicoise Salad recipe (with variations), thanks to the recipe Irvina shares. 

Hungry for more? Find out where to get the best Salade Nicoise in France.

Save this recipe for making Tuna Nicoise Salad at home. Photo by Irvina Lew. Graphic by Real Food Traveler.

Hungry for more? Make this olive salad from Albania.

SALADE NIÇOISE RECIPE, Chez Lew  

Superior ingredients set a Niçoise apart, including a really good vinaigrette. Even with expensive ingredients, house-made dressing costs a fraction of the ridiculously-priced, unhealthy, sugar- and preservative-laden alternatives. I’ve been serving this salad for a long time, but as more and more guests are on restrictive diets, I’ve started offering it deconstructed, so that guests can top the greens as they wish. (Recently, I even added grilled lemon/thyme chicken breast slices, for someone who doesn’t eat fish.) And, I’ve learned how to keep lettuce fresh: I store it separately, with no dressing, wrapped in a towel. I also store each component, separately, so I can reassemble whatever is left over, for another lunch.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients and Prep Directions:

Lettuce: Wash. Dry. Tear. Store in cloth, in refrigerator.

Green Beans: Cut ends. Blanche. Shock on ice. Drain. Slice on diagonal.

Organic eggs: Boil 9 minutes, gently in salted water. Shock. Peel. Half or Quarter.

Red new potatoes: Cut bite size pieces; Boil in salty water. Serve.

Ripe Tomatoes: Cut bite size pieces or in half for tiny tomatoes.

Capers: Drain with a slotted spoon.

Anchovies: Drain on a paper towel.

Radishes, Cucumber, Celery, Pepper: Cut in bite size pieces

Wild Fresh Tuna: Cut into stick-of-butter-sized batons. Sear each side and ends about and 40 seconds (or more). Or, present jarred or canned in olive oil.

(Hungry for more of her arrticle)

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup White Wine or Champagne Vinegar

1 TBS grainy Fallot mustard, to taste

1-2 cloves minced garlic, to taste

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Hungry for more? Here’s a recipe for a Greek Orzo salad.

To Serve:

Put dressing in bowl. Top with lettuce. Toss at last moment.

OR

Present ingredients on separate serving pieces, or grouped, along with serving utensils.

Guests can serve themselves.

Lay everything out for guests to serve themselves from this chicken (right) and tuna nicoise salad recipe, deconstructed.

— Story, recipe, and photos by Irvina Lew

Hungry for more? Here’s the recipe for the famous Swan Frozen Fruit Salad.