For your perfect information, or for the Salade Niçoise purists, this is what I have gathered: the authentic Salade Niçoise does not use vinegar, nor lettuce, never tuna with anchovies, but one or the other. Only raw vegetables that are in season are used, and most of the time green bell pepper, and you’ll never see cooked vegies in the authentic Salade Niçoise.
Niçoise-style salad by Laurent
6 March 2023
: 4 to 6
: 20 min
: 45 min
: 1 hr 5 min
: Quite easy
My advice for a quality salade Niçoise: strictly use extra fresh vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 handful of lightly cooked green beans
- 4 medium-size tomatoes or 2 pulpy coeur de boeuf-type
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 12 quail eggs
- 1 can of anchovies and / or canned tuna in water
- 125g of cooked rice
- 6 TBS olive oil
- 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBS red wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot or 2 small spring onions
- 100g black olives from Nice, that is small and black (with pit)
- salt and ground pepper
- a large quantity of basil leaves, at least 4 stems
- cucumber, radishes, a handful of mesclun are optional.
Directions
- Step 1 Bring salted water to a boil. Delicately add the quail eggs. Cooking time will be 4 minutes. Then dip the eggs in cold water to cool. Peeling should be easy that way. There are two methods to peel the bell peppers: whether you use a peeler to remove the skin after cutting the peppers in 4 and removing the seeds and white pulp. Or you may put the peppers in boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes, and then dip the peppers in iced water. Another way to peel the bell peppers is to cut them in halves and place them in the oven at 200° for 30 minutes. Then, place the peppers in a plastic bag or in a container with a lid on until cooled. The peeling should be easy then.
- Step 2 Boil the green beans for 5 minutes and drain under running cold water. Cut the tomatoes and remove the skin. Place them in a strainer to drain. Cook the rice and allow time to cool off. You may also prepare a few radishes, mesclun leaves and cucumber slices. Place all these ingredients in a salad bowl. Drain the anchovies and the canned tuna and add them to the preparation along with the olives and store in the refrigerator. In the meantime, prepare your dressing by mixing the oil and the vinegars. Add the chopped shallots, the salt and the ground pepper and stir. When the salad in cool enough, serve it with the vinaigrette. Add the chopped basil leaves at the last minute.
Delicious, healthy, low cal, omega3, fibre : it’s a feel-good recipe !