Tuna Nicoise Salad with Crispy Shoestring Potatoes and Basil Vinaigrette
I’m still daydreaming about our recent Grecian getaway, so it may seem a bit odd for me to be posting this French inspired salad.
The truth is, I created this deliciously simple salad at some point during the summer (which I’m still clinging to) and I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you all.
I know I’m not the only one hanging on to the last few moments of summertime either, as my backyard basil is still happily soaking up the September sunshine. It is admittedly less luscious than it was when I captured it in these photos back in July, but a few wrinkles never hurt anybody, even pretty little basil.
I love this salad because of its simplicity. That is something that reminds me of all the amazing Greek food we recently had the pleasure of digging into. Quality ingredients prepared simply. Each flavor shines on its own, but is enhanced by the others around it.
The key to this salad (and every meal!) is to start with really delicious, well sourced ingredients. Like these happy little pasture raised eggs. The way they were raised makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, but their taste is what really sells the next dozen.
I mean look at that yolk!
You can hopefully grab some last minute heirloom tomatoes to sit next to your crispy shoestring potatoes, which add the perfect crunch to this plate. I made them by sending a potato through the spiralizer
Classic salad nicoise is typically made with tuna, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and olives. Lots of variations exist, so feel free to concoct your own version with whatever veggies you may have waiting around to get eaten up.
To my rendition of nicoise I added blanched green beans and roasted red peppers + lots of salty black olives because I am addicted to them. (even more so after my recent adventure in the land of olives)
And I feel that it would be unfair for me to write the word nicoise again without a proper pronunciation walk-through. Technically, it’s niçoise and it should roll off your tongue [niˈswaz]. That is according to Wikipedia, so please don’t ever ask me to pronounce it out loud.
Still have Greek on my mind. I won’t butcher two languages at the same time.
Bon apetit!
Tuna Nicoise Salad with Crispy Shoestring Potatoes and Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- For the salad
- 1 can sustainably harvested tuna
- 2-4 pasture raised eggs
- 1 medium potato
- cherry tomatoes
- green beans
- black olives
- roasted red peppers
- mixed greens
- garlic powder
- salt, pepper
- olive or coconut oil
- For the dressing
- 1.5 cup packed fresh basil
- 1 shallot
- 1/4 cup oil + 1 tbs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- tsp brown mustard
- 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for dressing to a food processor and blend until smooth, adjusting seasoning to taste. Transfer to glass jar or other serving container and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
- Preheat oven to 400. Spiralize potato and break or cut into shorter strands. Toss with oil and a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Spread spiralized potato onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, checking to make sure potato strings are not getting too dark. Broil for the last several minutes so potatoes get extra crispy.
- While potatoes are in the oven, bring a pot of water to boil. Add eggs and reduce heat slightly, cooking for 8-10 minutes, depending on preferred level of doneness. Remove eggs from pot and transfer to ice bath. Once cooled, remove and reserve.
- Bring water back to a boil, add green beans and cook for about 2 minutes. Strain and transfer beans to a bowl of ice water to cool. Once cooled, remove and reserve.
- Add base of mixed greens to a serving platter. Add tuna, peeled and sliced eggs, roasted red pepper slices, tomatoes, olives, green beans, and crispy potatoes. Serve with basil vinaigrette.
Notes
Dressing, eggs, and green beans can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
One response to “Tuna Nicoise Salad with Crispy Shoestring Potatoes and Basil Vinaigrette”
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One of our fave salads! it never fails!