Tuna Nicoise Salad

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The Tuna Nicoise Salad is a quintessential summer dish. It features an array of vibrant seasonal ingredients like fresh green beans, baby potatoes, and juicy tomatoes. It’s a simple dish that works well with a fresh baguette for a side.

Salad with vegetables, egg, tuna, potatoes, tomatoes, and asparagus in a green bowl on a wood trivet.

While this classic French salad is a summer favorite, you can make it anytime, as most of the fresh ingredients can be found year-round. It’s delicious, healthy, easy to toss together, and can be doubled or tripled for company. The shared platter frees you up from running back and forth to the kitchen so you can enjoy your guests.

We all carry memories tied to certain foods. I wish my memory of the Niçoise salad was from the south of France, sitting outside at a quaint restaurant with a glass of cold Sauvignon Blanc.

Unfortunately, it’s not. Instead, I remember ordering this salad at a food court in Maryland when I was a teenager. A young man, not much older than me, rolled his eyes and corrected my botched pronunciation of the dish. I remember being mortified, but the salad was lovely!

For more salad options we think you’ll love, try this Roasted Beet Salad or something from this list of 21 Healthy Salad Recipes.

Why We Love This Salad

Easy to Make – Layer all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together the delicious dressing.
Healthy – The main ingredients are vegetables, tuna, and olive oil. All super good for you!
Quick – The only cooking is boiling and frying the potatoes, which can be done in advance.

What You Need to Make Tuna Nicoise Salad

Labeled ingredients for a tuna nicoise salad.

Canned tuna
Hard-boiled eggs
Tomatoes
Asparagus
Lettuce
New potatoes
Olives
Dressing (our homemade version)

Substitutions and Additions

As with any salad, the sky is the limit for fresh vegetables. Feel free to experiment with various salad greens or even baby spinach. Try grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes instead of the regular variety.

Red onion and radishes are a nice addition, but I sometimes feel they are too overpowering. If you love them, add them!

My first choice for briny olives is nicoise, kalamata, or any black olives. This time, I didn’t realize I was out of nicoise and kalamata olives, and the green olives were good, too. I might experiment with artichoke hearts or pepperoncini. Capers would also add a nice flavor to this dish. In addition, you could sprinkle the salad with herbs, like dill or parsley.

The traditional version includes haricots verts, but regular green beans will do. Try to find French green beans, which are the long, skinny kind. We really like asparagus in place of the green beans. White beans are a nice addition, too.

Though I’ve typically had this salad with canned tuna, it would be delicious with an oil-packed tuna filet or sliced tuna steak. Many recipes call for anchovies, which I actually love and might add the next time.

If you dislike lemon dressing, a little red wine vinegar and olive oil are also delicious.

How to Make this Tuna Niçoise Salad Recipe

Note: Boil the new potatoes ahead of time and let cool in the fridge. Peeling them is optional.

Warm olive oil in a skillet. Once hot, fry the boiled potatoes over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes.

Start with a bed of lettuce in the bottom of a large bowl. Top the lettuce with chopped tomatoes, fried potatoes, and flaked tuna.

Bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and tuna fish.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Break off the ends of the asparagus stalks and add them to the boiling water, cooking for three minutes. Immediately rinse the asparagus with cold water to keep it crisp.

Cut the hard boiled eggs into four pieces. Add egg and asparagus to the bowl, arranging them as in the photo.

To make the lemon vinaigrette salad dressing, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and Dijon mustard in a bowl until well combined.

Corner of salad with tomatoes and egg with small cup of salad dressing and small spoon.

Just before serving, dress the salad by drizzling the dressing over everything, scattering the shallots and olives over the top. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Serving Suggestions

We like to serve the niçoise salad chilled. Place a large platter in the fridge to chill beforehand if you have room. If not, place a large baggie filled with ice on the platter about 15 minutes before you’ll be ready to serve.

The traditional Niçoise salad is served with hard-boiled eggs, but it’s become popular to serve it with soft-boiled eggs, too. I might try it next time.

This tuna nicoise salad pairs wonderfully with this Rosemary Garlic Bread or a simple toasted baguette.

For a heartier meal, add a cup of Roasted Root Vegetable Soup, Homemade Tomato Soup, or Italian Bean Soup.

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container to be eaten the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Nicoise Olives Pitted?

You can purchase Nicoise olives with or without pits. I personally don’t like spitting out the pits at the table, so I always use pitted. Restaurants often use pitted as they retain their structure and look better.

How Do You Pronouce Niçoise?

The correct pronunciation of Nicoise is nee-sways.

What does Nicoise mean?

Nicoise is in the style of Nice in France, where they have an abundance of fresh vegetables and olive trees.

Top Tips

Use the freshest vegetables for this salad. Don’t skip running cold water over the asparagus, as it could get mushy if it continues to cook.

Dress the Nicoise salad just before serving. If you’re making the salad for one, split it and store half before adding the dressing. Pour half of the dressing into a small container to use for the other half.

More Salad Recipes

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Greek Orzo Salad

Broccoli Salad