Niçoise Salad

The Niçoise salad is a classic dish from the French cuisine of the Nice region, but I will also provide you with some Italian touches that can make the dish even more intriguing. Here is the traditional recipe with a small Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 200 g of lettuce or mixed salad
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 1 Tropea red onion
• 100 g of green beans
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 160 g of canned tuna
• 8 anchovy fillets in oil
• 20 Taggiasca olives (as a substitute for the traditionally used Nice olives)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dried oregano to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice (for a more Italian touch)

Preparation

1. Begin by washing the lettuce and the green beans. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the onion into thin rings. Boil the green beans in salted water until they are tender but still crunchy, then let them cool.
2. In a large bowl, arrange a bed of lettuce or mixed salad.
3. On top of the lettuce, distribute the green beans, the tomato wedges, and the onion rings.
4. Drain the tuna and place it in the center of the salad. Arrange the hard-boiled eggs cut into wedges or halves around it.
5. Add the anchovy fillets and the Taggiasca olives.
6. For the dressing, add salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of dried oregano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a touch of balsamic vinegar or a little lemon juice for a citrusy touch.
7. Gently mix before serving.

Curiosity

The original Niçoise salad is called “Salade Niçoise” and is part of Niçoise cuisine, which includes typical elements of the Mediterranean diet. Popular worldwide, every chef has their own variant but the basic ingredients remain more or less the same. The addition of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice is a slight variation that adds an Italian touch to this delicious and fresh salad.