this Niçoise Style Tuna Salad is certainly not traditional, but guaranteed delicious. it’s also packed chock full of superfoods, protein, omega 3 fats, heart-healthy ingredients and tons of flavor. make it the evening before a bridal shower or Mother’s Day and you have a chilled and refreshing salad or dip that guests will gobble down. This Niçoise Style Tuna Salad is the perfect spring and summer addition to your entertaining and is also ideal for meal prep.
the inspiration:
a true French Niçoise salad can only be called a Niçoise salad if it contains one thing- Niçoise olives. this salad is traditionally arranged artfully on a plate with seared ahi tuna, hard-cooked eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers and more. I decided to do a play on this classic with a creamy scoopable tuna salad/dip to pair with baguette. the result was very delicious, simple to make and beyond nourishing.
niçoise style tuna salad ingredients:
- wild-caught canned tuna: I love this brand and you can often find it discounted greatly at Costco.
- hard boiled eggs: these are a traditional component of the original salad and add great texture and protein.
- good olive oil: you want to pull out the nicer finishing olive oil for this salad. I used and love this one.
- fresh lemon: freshly-squeezed lemon juice and freshly-grated zest are essential .
- castelvetrano olives: add texture, tang and brine to the salad. I prefer the taste of these over traditional Niçoise olives.
- red onion: minced red onion adds a craveable sharpness and “edge,” to the salad.
- spices: we flavor this salad with granulated garlic for a delicate garlic flavor as well as freshly-ground cracked black pepper and salt.
- fresh herbs: fresh chives or flat leaf parsley add freshness and a brightness to the dish that pairs ideally with the salmon.
how to serve:
this Niçoise Style Tuna Salad can be served a few different ways either for entertaining, a simple dinner or meal prep:
- baby shower: serve tuna salad in fresh croissants alongside fresh fruit salad and pasta salad.
- meal prep: prep tuna salad in a pyrex to add to bowls, wraps, stuffed avocados or sandwiches for the week.
- picnic lunch: stuff tuna salad in pita halves alongside my roasted eggplant & beet protein dip with fresh crudités.
- simple lunch: serve tuna salad scooped alongside crackers with fresh sliced avocado.
- summer dinner: serve tuna salad stuffed in heirloom tomatoes with grilled baguette alongside grilled peaches and vanilla bean ice cream for dessert.
Niçoise Style Tuna Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cans of wild-caught albacore or skipjack tuna 15 oz total
- 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs minced (chives or italian parsley)
- ¼ cup good finishing olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 20 cracks fresh-ground black pepper
- ½ cup castelvetrano olives quartered vertically
- 1/3 cup red onion finely minced
- 1 cup mini seedless cucumbers halved vertically then sliced thinly
- 1 cup mixed colored cherry tomatoes quartered
- crostini toasts, sliced baguette or crackers for serving
Instructions
- Begin by hard cooking the eggs. In a medium pot, bring cold water to a simmer. Carefully add eggs to the pot with a slotted spoon. Let simmer for 12 minutes, careful not to let eggs boil.
- While eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath. In a medium-sized bowl, fill it with ice and water.
- When eggs are finished cooking, carefully transfer them with a slotted spoon into the ice bath. Let cool while you prepare the tuna salad.
- In a large bowl, add the drained tuna, breaking up uniformly. Stir in olive oil, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and lemon. Gently fold in the tomatoes, cucumbers and olives.
- Peel and cut the eggs into 1/8ths. Gently fold in to the tuna salad and chill until very cold and flavors have melded, at least 4 hours or ideally, overnight.
- Serve salad chilled with crackers or crostini toasts on the side.
