We are counting down the days until our trip to Paris this summer. We’ve been talking about all the amazing dishes we are planning to try there, including this delicious French dish – the Tuna Nicoise Salad. The Nicoise salad originated from Nice and has taken on so many different variations. The traditionalist version features either tuna or anchovies with tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and Nicoise olives; however, many places now add seasonal vegetables as well.
Our version tonight included the traditional ingredients, as well as red onion, baby potatoes, green beans, and cornichons (my favorite), served with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. 
The most time-consuming part of this salad is simply prepping the ingredients, but once everything is cooked, it comes together quickly. We opted for a 7-minute boiled egg, leaving the yolks nice and velvety but not runny. The green beans were blanched, to retain some of its crunch. The potatoes were boiled and topped with some sea salt.
Next comes the dressing. This is my go-to salad dressing. It is light and easy to prepare and goes great with almost anything. We always have these ingredients on hand, so I prefer to make the dressing in small batches. It’s so simple and a lot cheaper than buying pre-made at the store.
You can use balsamic vinegar or even apple cider vinegar in replacement of the red wine vinegar, but it is key to use whole grain Dijon mustard. We absolutely love this one when we can find it! Whatever brand you choose, just make sure it is whole grain. It adds a different texture than simple Dijon mustard.
The best part of making this salad is arranging it. Get creative! Or just throw everything into a bowl – because honestly it will taste great either way. This is a perfect, hearty summer salad to enjoy outside with a glass of cold Rose. And if you found a good deal on fresh tuna, save some to make a delicious Ahi Tuna poke bowl for another great light and fresh summer recipe!
Tuna Nicoise Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sashimi grade ahi tuna (or 2 cans high-quality canned tuna)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 head romaine lettuce washed and patted dry
- 20 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/3 pound baby potatoes boiled and cooled
- 1/4 pound fresh green beans blanched
- 2 radishes thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons French cornichons chopped
- 12 Nicoise olives
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vingear
- 1 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon honey
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring water to boil, add eggs gently. Set timer for 7 minutes. Remove from water and place in cold water. Peel immediately and halve. Set aside.
- Pat tuna dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Add approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet. Turn heat up on high. Sear tuna for approximately 30 seconds on each side. Remove from heat and slice. Set aside.
- Combine remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Whisk gently with fork until combined.
- Arrange plate with lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, radishes, olives, Serve with clotted cream, jam and your favorite cup of tea., and onion. Place tuna and eggs on top.
- Drizzle with dressing and serve.