Nicoise Salad
I always knew exactly what a Niçoise salad was, and that it was French, but I had never stopped to think about where the name actually came from. The word Niçoise means “from Nice,” a coastal city in the south of France, and the salad is also known for using Niçoise olives from that same region.
Traditionally, the salad includes tuna, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, olives, and hard-boiled eggs. It’s a colorful combination of perfect plate components, but oh so chic and unmistakably French. Ooh là là.
I could have used a fresh tuna steak and seared it beautifully for this dish, but part of the Perfect Plate mission is creating meals that feel approachable and realistic for everyday life. Instead, I used Fishwife tuna, which has become one of those reliable pantry staples that is easy to keep on hand. Their packaging makes me genuinely happy, and their tinned fish is the only one I actually like, if I’m honest. (Revisit this fish dip if you’d like.)
And the quail eggs? A little nod to Brazilians, who eat them often as a snack.
As the days get warmer, I know I’ll keep coming back to this bright and simple plate. The combination of crisp vegetables, pantry-friendly tuna, and tangy vinaigrette feels effortless while still thoughtful and balanced. It perfectly captures the Perfect Plate philosophy: a healthy, complete meal does not need to be complicated or time-consuming to feel special.
Nicoise Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head butter lettuce or romaine, washed and torn
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and boiled
- 1 cup fingerling potatoes, boiled and halved
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6–8 quail eggs, boiled and peeled
- ¼ cup Niçoise or Castelvetrano olives
- 1 tin Fishwife tuna
- 1–2 teaspoons Fly By Jing chili crisp (optional)
- Honey Dijon vinaigrette (recipe below)
- Maldon or flaky sea salt
Instructions
- To make the honey Dijon vinaigrette, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 tablespoon honey, and the juice of half a lemon until smooth and glossy.
- Arrange the lettuce, green beans, fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives, tuna, and quail eggs in neat sections around the plate so each ingredient has its own space.
- Drizzle the honey Dijon vinaigrette over the entire plate and finish with flaky salt. Add chili crisp over the tuna, if you wish
