A classic with a little twist! Along with the usual suspects, this new style Nicoise salad features sweet caramelized onions, smoky roasted bell peppers and tender Maldivian tuna. The dressing is a mix of olive and sesame oils with soy sauce, unpronounceable Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and a dollop of mayonnaise.
Overview of Ingredients:
Also known of Salade Nicoise, this French classic goes a way back and originates from the city of Nice. While the list of the ingredients may vary slightly, the core stays largely the same:
- The salad often starts with a bed or fresh crispy lettuce leaves such as Iceberg or Romaine.
- Ripe juicy tomatoes provide both sweet and tart elements.
- Hard-boiled egg and tuna add protein and substance.
- Blanched or steamed green beans are a rich source of vitamins and contribute with a vibrant color.
- Boiled potatoes are a common addition making the salad more hearty and filling.
- Black olives are a characteristic feature of Nicoise, bringing in salty, briny notes.
- Some versions of the salad include anchovies for their umami-rich flavour.
Preparation tips for New Style Nicoise Salad:
This recipe offers a little twist on classic Salade Nicoise with a few tweaks and additions:
Caramelized onions simmered with sugar and balsamic vinegar bring in sweet, savory and slightly burnt notes. Saute red onions or shallots in butter, add a tea spoon of brown sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook over low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes until they are brown and crispy.
Roasted bell peppers create subtle smoky nuances and offer a nice texture variety with their juicy softness. You can use an air fryer or roast them in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Peel the skin (it will come off easily) and slice into long strips.
I then sear fresh or defrosted tuna steaks in a mix of olive and sesame oils with a splash of soy sauce. Once done to your liking (for me it should be just a little pink inside), remove from heat, let cool and cut into bite-sized cubes.
For the dressing I am using the oils and soy sauce from searing the tuna which I mix with Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Worcestershire sauce comes in place of anchovies and the mayonnaise tones down the saltiness of the dressing and makes it creamier. The taste is still quite prominent, so I drizzle just a little over the salad.
For esthetic purposes, I chose baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes and quail eggs – they are all more or less same size allowing for a more uniform look. I am convinced that pretty food tastes better! 😀
Serve your New Style Nicoise Salad as a light meal for lunch or dinner. Its combination of fresh vegetables, protein-rich ingredients and savory sauce makes it a satisfying yet vibrant and refreshing meal.
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New Style Nicoise Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups of fresh lettuce chopped
- 12 cherry tomatoes halved
- 12 quail eggs hard boiled
- 6-8 baby potatoes boiled and halved or quartered
- 100 g green beans blanched
- 1/4 cups black olives pitted and halved
- 1 medium red bell pepper cleaned and halved
- 1 large shallot or medium red onion
- 20 g butter
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic or red vinegar
- 2 medium tuna steaks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
To make caramelized onions:
- In a frying pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add sliced onions and fry for a few minutes until translucent.
- Add 1 tsp brown sugar and 2 tbsp vinegar and stir to combine.
- Simmer over low-medium heat for 15 minutes until the onions caramelize.
To make roasted bell pepper:
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the halves of the bell pepper and season with salt.
- Roast in the air fryer for 10 minutes or in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Peel the skin and slice into strips.
To make the tuna:
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil in a medium pan.
- Add tuna steaks and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Add 3 tbsp soy sauce for the last minute of cooking.
- Allow tuna to rest, then slice into cubes.
To make the dressing:
- Pour the juices from the tuna pan into a mixing bowl and let cool.
- Add 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp of mayo and 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
- Mix well, taste and adjust for salt (add more soy sauce) or acid (add more lemon juice).
To serve:
- Gently mix the ingredients together.
- Arrange on a serving plate and drizzle over about 1 tbsp of dressing.
- Finish off with a grind of black pepper mill.
Notes
- You can use either balsamic or red wine vinegar.
- The salad can last in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If preparing in advance, reserve the dressing and season when ready to serve.
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