Like many dishes, Salad Niçoise is so much more than the sum of its parts. That’s saying a lot because the elements of this Salad Niçoise with Wasabi Mayo are each, in and of themselves, perfect. Perfect green beans from the garden, picked today. Baby potatoes. Al’s tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh off the vine. The eggs are local. The briny olives in oil are plump and fresh.
Today we were lucky enough to find fresh bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Cape Cod at the Fish Market for only $19.95/pound. Per NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association), “sustainable management means we can have our tuna and eat it too.” The NOAA website describes the specific management practices that have restored the once endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna populations to sustainable levels. So the fish is sustainably harvested, and pretty local too!
These additional elements would be fantastic as well:
Creamy
Perfectly ripe avocado bathed in a bit of lime juice. Creamier than the creamy baby potatoes, and a beautiful shade of green that glows.
Creamy garbanzo beans add protein.
Crunchy
Toasted almonds or hazelnuts or even roasted sunflower seeds add crunch.
Sour/Salty
Capers and artichokes. The capers bring a sour note, while both the capers and artichokes bring a sharp brininess.
Onion-y
Chopped or sliced scallions add to the freshness factor.
If you’re using the red-wine vinaigrette I use in this recipe, you could add some minced shallot to the dressing and let it macerate a bit.
Punchy/herby
Torn basil leaves scattered over the tomatoes.
Chipped dill leaves sprinkled on the rest of the Niçoise.
I’ve sometimes made this salad with Honey Mustard Sauce, but that doesn’t quite work with the wasabi mayo I’m using here, so I opted for a red-wine Dijon vinaigrette for this Salad Niçoise with Wasabi Mayo recipe. I love wasabi mayo with fresh tuna, but when I make this salad with canned tuna, I go with the Honey Mustard Sauce for dressing.
The point I’m making is that you can mix Salad Niçoise up however you like. This is what I want you to do – make it yours, then tell me about it!
Salad Niçoise
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 eggs
- 10 ounces red baby potatoes
- 8 ounces green beans
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 1 cucumber
- leafy salad greens (enough to line your bowl)
- 12 marinated olives
- 1 pound fresh tuna (or canned if that's what you have)
- 2 T grapeseed oil
- 3 T wasabi mayo (see note)
Salad Dressing
- 2 T red wine vinegar
- 2 T Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Boil the eggs – cover the eggs with cold water and place on the stove on medium high heat. When the water reaches a boil, remove from the heat and let sit for nine (9) minutes. Run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking. Set aside.
- Steam the potatoes and green beans – Fill a bowl with water and ice to create an ice water bath. Separately, steam the potatoes for 5 minutes, then add the beans and continue steaming for another 8 minutes. Plunge the green beans into the ice water bath, then drain them and set them aside to dry. Set the potatoes aside to cool.
- Slice the veg and salt the tomato – Cut the tomato into largeish chunks and place in a bowl. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt and stir. Set aside. Slice the cucumber and set aside.
- Arrange the salad – Line your salad bowl with the lettuce leaves. Arrange the potatoes, beans, tomato, and cucumber in a fan around the bowl. Scatter the olives.
- Make the vinaigrette – To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon, and olive oil until smooth and emulsified.
- Sear and slice the tuna (if using fresh tuna) – Season the fish with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat, and sear the tuna – 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and slice across. Lay the tuna slices across the center or the salad.
- Dress and serve – Dot the tuna slices with wasabi mayo, and drizzle the vinaigrette across the rest of the salad. Serve immediately.
Notes
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