Nicoise Salad Recipe

This Nicoise Salad recipe combines grilled tuna steaks, tender red potatoes, crisp green beans, tomatoes, eggs, black olives, and baby greens with a bold homemade garlic anchovy dressing. Featured on License to Grill with Rob Rainford, this satisfying salad brings fresh Mediterranean-inspired flavours to the barbecue for a colourful main course.

The Inspiration

Niçoise salad is known for bringing together fresh vegetables, potatoes, eggs, olives, and seafood in one hearty composed salad. In this License to Grill version, Rob Rainford gives the classic combination a barbecue-focused approach by grilling fresh tuna and vegetables before arranging everything over baby greens.

The vegetables also receive special treatment. Potatoes and green beans are partially cooked first, then cooled to stop the cooking process. Red onion and other vegetables are finished on the grill, bringing charred flavour into a salad usually associated with fresh and gently cooked ingredients.

Featured in the Blind Date with Garlic episode, the roasted garlic dressing connects this colourful salad to the episode’s garlic-forward theme while allowing the tuna and vegetables to remain the stars of the plate.

Ingredients

Dressing

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (15ml)
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard (10ml)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (15ml)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4 roasted cloves of garlic
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil (62ml)
2 anchovy fillets rinsed, blotted dry and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of capers
18 fresh basil leaves

Salad

3 fresh tuna steaks (6oz, 1 inch thick each)
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Coarse sea salt& cracked black pepper to taste
12 small red potatoes, scrubbed & cut in half
8 ounces of green beans, ends trimmed
1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
Salt & pepper to taste
6 cups of baby greens
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges
1/3 cup nicoise or other black olives, rinsed and drained.

Method

Start with the dressing. Place the lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic into a blender and whiz. Start adding the oil in a thin stream. Add the anchovies, capers and basil. Blend until desired thickness. Adjust seasoning to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
Place the tuna steaks in a glass or ceramic dish. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Turn the steaks to ensure that they are well coated. Wrap the dish and place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill to high
Place the potatoes in salted boiling water. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and refresh them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set them aside.
Bring the water to a boil again and add the green beans. Cook for 1-2 minutes and refresh them under cold water.
Place the grill basket on the grill for 5 minutes to preheat. Toss the tomatoes, green beans and red onion in the remaining oil and season. Place them into the now heated grill basket.
Arrange the other vegetables on the grill and cook for 3-6 minutes pre side until nicely charred. Set aside.
Oil the grill liberally with vegetable or grape seed oil. Drain the tuna and plate it dry. Place directly on the grill over high heat. Grill for 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Slice the tuna crosswise into thin slices.
Compile the salad with the tuna on top and drizzle with the dressing.

Serving Suggestions

This Niçoise Salad works beautifully as a complete lunch or dinner because it combines seafood, vegetables, potatoes, eggs, and greens in one dish. Serve it on a large platter for a relaxed family-style meal, allowing the colourful vegetables and sliced grilled tuna to remain visible. A loaf of crusty bread makes an excellent accompaniment and is perfect for enjoying any extra garlic anchovy dressing.

For outdoor entertaining, serve the salad after the vegetables and tuna come directly off the barbecue. The contrast between warm grilled ingredients and cool baby greens gives the dish plenty of texture and freshness. A simple sparkling water, iced tea, or citrus-forward beverage pairs naturally with the lemon, basil, and savoury anchovy flavours.

Final Thoughts

This Niçoise Salad recipe transforms a classic composed salad into a satisfying barbecue main course. Fresh tuna, grilled vegetables, potatoes, eggs, olives, and crisp greens provide a range of colours and textures, while the roasted garlic anchovy dressing ties everything together.

Find more recipes from License to Grill here!