To be honest, I don’t think there is a single original or standardized recipe for Niçoise.
Franck Jeandon, a chef at the Cordon Bleu Institute, was born, raised, and began his culinary career in Nice, so he can rightfully consider himself an authority on authentic Niçoise knowledge. According to Franck, this salad can essentially be divided into several versions — “Petit,” “Regular,” and “Grand Niçoise.”
“In the petit version, it’s a vegetable salad with lettuce, shallots, bell peppers, tomatoes, a tangy dressing, eggs, small lilac-black Provençal olives, and anchovies. No cooked vegetables. The regular version may include canned tuna and green beans, with a slightly more complex dressing, incorporating mustard or garlic.”
Variations exist everywhere, and finding an identical Niçoise is difficult both in our restaurants and in its homeland — Nice. Tuna is usually featured in the "Grand Salad," often lightly seared or marinated, and less commonly canned. What I definitely don’t like in any version is cooked vegetables. Niçoise is a salad made from fresh vegetables with a tangy, mustard-based (in my opinion) dressing. Here is one of my quick, home-style, petit-grand versions.
- 1 small head of lettuce (such as Iceberg)
- 1 very large tomato (or 2 medium-sized, or a bunch of cherry tomatoes)
- 1 small onion, preferably sweet salad onion, white or red
- 3 boiled eggs
- 8 large olives
- 8 anchovy fillets
- canned tuna (of course, if you have time and desire, fresh tuna can be prepared)
- 1/2 lemon
Dressing:
- 2 sprigs of fresh basil
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. mild mustard
Boil the eggs. Finely chop the basil and garlic, add the remaining dressing ingredients, mix well, and let it infuse while preparing the salad.
Wash and dry the lettuce leaves, then tear them into bite-sized pieces in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half, then into slices — not too thick. Slice the onion into very thin half-rings. Cut the olives in half or into quarters, removing the pits. Add the dressing and toss everything together.
Arrange the dressed vegetables on a plate, then place quartered eggs (or halved quail eggs if using), tuna, and a few anchovy fillets on top. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.
Dressing:
- 2 sprigs of fresh basil
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. mild mustard
Boil the eggs. Finely chop the basil and garlic, add the remaining dressing ingredients, mix well, and let it infuse while preparing the salad.
Wash and dry the lettuce leaves, then tear them into bite-sized pieces in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half, then into slices — not too thick. Slice the onion into very thin half-rings. Cut the olives in half or into quarters, removing the pits. Add the dressing and toss everything together.
Arrange the dressed vegetables on a plate, then place quartered eggs (or halved quail eggs if using), tuna, and a few anchovy fillets on top. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.
