Niçoise Salad Recipe | The Mediterranean Dish (2024)

This Niçoise salad recipe comes with a twist — consider it my take on the French classic. It has the usual ingredients of tuna and hard boiled eggs, but I like to add artichoke hearts, crunchy cucumbers, and peppery radishes.

What is Niçoise salad?

Niçoise Salad Ingredients

This Niçoise Salad recipe can be adapted according to your tastes and what you have on hand. Here’s what I love in my Niçoise:

• Tomatoes: Choose the best quality tomatoes available, no matter the size. I used medium tomatoes, halved and sliced into wedges, but you could certainly substitute halved grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or even larger tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Salad greens: You could use Romaine, but I prefer a softer, sweeter lettuce like Bibb or Boston.
• Radishes: Radishes add a peppery texture and crunch.
• Cucumber: Cucumber adds a cooling quality and snappy texture.
• Olives: Niçoise olives are the natural choice for this recipe, but you can substitute another black olive that is more available to you. I like to use pitted olives rather than dealing with the pits.
• Artichoke hearts: Use unseasoned quartered artichoke hearts packed in water.
• Hard boiled eggs: You could use slightly soft-boiled eggs if you'd prefer, but hard-boiled eggs are less messy and so delicious when you don’t over boil them. See our guide on how to boil eggs to make the creamiest hard boiled eggs every time.
• Tuna: Use canned tuna that’s packed in oil, as it tends to be higher quality and more flavorful.
• Green onions: Add a mild bite without overpowering. You can substitute with shallots or chives if you prefer.
• Seasoning: This salad is seasoned simply with kosher salt and black pepper to enhance the flavor.
• Basil: Whole basil leaves add a fresh, aromatic quality.
• Red wine vinegar: The acid in the Dijon salad dressing. I like things to have a little zip to them, but you can always add less vinegar to taste. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice can also be used as a substitute.
• Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard helps to emulsify and thicken the vinaigrette while adding a little zing and a wonderful depth of flavor.
• Olive oil: A smooth, high quality extra virgin olive oil is a must. I usually spring for our buttery Italian Nocellara with this recipe, but you can find our favorites from around the Mediterranean at our shop.

How to Make Niçoise Salad

Aside from boiling the eggs, there is no cooking involved in this easy Niçoise salad recipe! To make Niçoise salad:

• Hard boil 4 eggs. To hard boil eggs, carefully place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Next, cover the eggs with at least one inch of cold water and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Set on the pan on high heat and bring to a rolling boil while you get an ice bath ready. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes, then transfer to the ice bath to chill. Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel and cut them into quarters.
• Salt the tomatoes. Set a colander over a large mixing bowl. Slice 3-4 medium tomatoes and add to the colander, then toss with a pinch of salt. Finally, set the tomatoes aside and let them release some of their liquid into the bowl (don’t throw away the juice).
• Prep the veggies. To do this, first thinly slice 6 radishes, then peel a cucumber, and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and drag it down the center of the cucumber to scrape out its seeds so it stays crisp. Slice the cucumber into half moons. Thinly slice the white and green parts of 4 green onions. Finally, drain a can of artichoke hearts and a can of tuna.
• Arrange the salad. Spread 4 ounces of lettuce on a platter. Next, top with the radishes, cucumber, artichoke hearts, eggs, ½ cup of olives, and the drained tomatoes. You can do this as a composed salad, keeping things together, or spread the toppings evenly across the platter. Sprinkle on chunks of tuna, green onions, and tear a handful of basil leaves all over. Season with black pepper.
• Make the dressing. In the same bowl with the juices from your tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons each of red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. Season with a pinch of salt and whisk to combine. Continue whisking as you pour in ⅓ cup of olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
• Serve. Serve immediately, or wrap the salad in plastic and store in your fridge until you’re ready. Pour a bit of the dressing over the salad and toss very gently, or serve with the dressing on the side and allow everyone to help themselves.

Can I Make this Niçoise Salad Recipe Ahead?

You can certainly prep the components of this salad ahead of time, and store them separately in the refrigerator. Arrange the salad and cover with plastic wrap then set in your refrigerator for up to 6 hours. Just be sure to wait to add the dressing until the final moment.

• Hard boiled eggs in their shell keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• Washed and dried lettuce will keep for up to 5 days.
• Sliced cucumbers, radishes, and onions will retain their crispness for up to 24 hours.
• Make the Dijon dressing and store it in the fridge in a tightly closed mason jar for up to 2 nights.

What to Serve With Niçoise Salad

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*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.