Fresh Tuna Niçoise Salad

This gorgeous salad brings all those amazing French flavors right to your dinner table! Anyone who loves fresh, healthy meals will absolutely fall in love with this colorful dish. Plus, it’s packed with protein and tastes like you ordered it from a fancy restaurant.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 45 minutes, Total Time: 50 minutes, Serves: 4 people.

Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, High-Protein, Gluten-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 356 Calories, 23g Fat, 19g Carbs, 20g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Baby potatoes: You’ll need 10 ounces of baby yellow or red potatoes, which is about 2 cups. Just give them a good scrub – no need to peel these little beauties!

Fresh green beans: One cup of green beans, cut in half crosswise. They add such a nice crunch and bright green color to your salad.

Fresh lemon juice: Three tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice makes all the difference in that bright, zesty dressing.

Shallot: Two tablespoons of finely chopped shallot gives the dressing a mild onion flavor that’s not too strong.

Dijon mustard: Just one teaspoon adds that classic French tang to tie everything together perfectly.

Salt and pepper: Half a teaspoon of each, divided between the dressing and seasoning the tuna.

Extra-virgin olive oil: Five tablespoons total, divided for the dressing and cooking the tuna. Good quality oil really shines here!

Fresh parsley: One tablespoon of chopped flat-leaf parsley adds a fresh, herby note to the dressing.

Fresh tuna steak: One 8-ounce piece of fresh tuna is the star of this show. You’ll sear it to perfection!

Lettuce: Eight cups of torn green leaf or Bibb lettuce makes the perfect base for all these delicious toppings.

Hard-boiled eggs: Two eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise. You can make these ahead of time to save time!

Cherry tomatoes: One cup of halved cherry tomatoes adds sweetness and beautiful color.

Niçoise olives: Half a cup of pitted Niçoise olives brings that authentic Mediterranean flavor.

How to Make Fresh Tuna Niçoise Salad

Step 1: Set up your steamer basket in a large pot. Add water just below the basket bottom. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Add your scrubbed potatoes and reduce heat to medium. Cook covered for about 15 minutes until they’re tender when you poke them with a fork. Don’t remove the pot from heat yet!

Step 2: Transfer the cooked potatoes to a plate and let them cool for 10 minutes. Add your green beans to the same steamer basket. Cook them covered for about 5 minutes until they’re tender-crisp. Move the beans to the plate with the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half crosswise.

Step 3: Time to make that amazing dressing! Whisk together lemon juice, chopped shallot, Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Keep whisking while you slowly drizzle in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk in the chopped parsley until everything looks smooth and combined.

Step 4: Pat your tuna steak completely dry with paper towels. Sprinkle it with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Heat the last tablespoon of oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tuna and cook for about 2 minutes per side, turning once, until it’s lightly browned on both sides. The center will still be pink and that’s perfect!

Step 5: Move the tuna to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then slice it about 1/2-inch thick against the grain. Arrange your torn lettuce on a large platter or divide it between 4 plates. Top with the sliced tuna, halved potatoes, green beans, egg halves, cherry tomatoes, and olives. Drizzle that gorgeous dressing over everything and serve right away!

Easy and Quick Fresh Tuna Niçoise Salad Version

Want to save some time? You can totally use canned tuna instead of fresh! Just grab two 5-ounce cans of good quality tuna in olive oil. Skip the searing step completely and just flake the tuna over your salad. You can also buy pre-cooked baby potatoes from the deli section and just warm them up. This cuts your time down to about 20 minutes total!

Serving Ideas

This salad is already a complete meal all by itself! The protein from the tuna and eggs, plus the carbs from the potatoes, make it totally satisfying. If you want to add something extra, some crusty French bread or warm pita would be perfect for soaking up that delicious dressing.

Storage

You can prep most of this salad ahead of time! Cook the potatoes and green beans up to 2 days early and store them in the fridge. The dressing keeps for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. Just don’t slice the tuna or assemble everything until you’re ready to eat. Leftover assembled salad will keep for 1 day in the fridge, but it’s really best eaten fresh.

Substitutions

No fresh tuna? Canned tuna works great too! Can’t find Niçoise olives? Kalamata olives are a perfect substitute. If you don’t have shallots, just use 1 tablespoon of finely minced red onion instead. Green leaf lettuce can easily be swapped for butter lettuce, romaine, or even a spring mix. You’ve got lots of options here!

Pro Tips

• Perfect tuna: Don’t overcook your tuna! It should still be pink in the center for the best flavor and texture.
• Dressing secret: Make sure to whisk that olive oil in slowly so your dressing doesn’t break apart.
• Temperature trick: Let your cooked vegetables cool to room temperature before adding them to the salad.
• Presentation tip: Arrange everything in sections on your platter for that authentic restaurant look!

FAQs

Can I make this salad without eggs?

You bet! Just leave them out completely or add some extra cherry tomatoes and olives to make up for the missing protein. The salad will still be absolutely delicious!

How do I know when the tuna is cooked right?

Sure! For that perfect seared tuna, you want a golden brown crust on the outside but still pink in the center. If you prefer it more cooked through, just add 2-3 more minutes per side.

Can I use frozen green beans instead of fresh?

Fresh green beans really do taste better here, but frozen will work in a pinch! Just cook them according to the package directions and make sure to drain them really well before adding to your salad.

What if I can’t find Niçoise olives?

No worries! Kalamata olives are the best substitute, or you can use any small black olives you like. The flavor will be slightly different but still really good!

Closing

I hope you love this fresh take on the classic Niçoise salad as much as I do! Let me know how yours turns out – I always love hearing about your cooking adventures. Happy cooking, friend!