salade niçoise

Recipes
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Salade Niçoise

Think salad is boring? This classic French Niçoise salad is full of flavour and texture, perfect for popping in your lunchbox.

Ingredients

  1. 450g/1lb fresh tuna or 4 x 175g/6oz tuna steaks, 2.5cm/1in thick
  2. 8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways
  3. 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
  4. 115g/4oz extra fine french beans, topped, cooked and drained
  5. 4 little gem lettuce hearts, quartered lengthways
  6. 1 red onion, finely sliced
  7. 4 eggs, cooked for 6 minutes in boiling water from room temperature, halved
  8. 6 anchovy fillets cut lengthways into thin strips
  9. 16 pitted black olives in brine
  10. 8 basil leaves, ripped
  11. for the dressing or marinade
  12. 105ml/7tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  13. 3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar
  14. 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
  15. 2 tbsp freshly snipped chives
  16. 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  17. 1 tsp salt
  18. 1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

  1. To make the dressing or marinade whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper.
  2. Place the tuna in a shallow dish and pour over half of the dressing. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours to allow the fish to marinate. Toss in the marinade from time to time.
  3. Heat a ridged griddle pan on the hob or a hot barbecue for 5 minutes. Remove the tuna from the marinade. Cook the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like your fish.
  4. Lay the lettuce leaves onto a large plate and add the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, potato, tuna, beans and anchovies. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then finish by adding the eggs, olives and ripped basil leaves.