Niçoise Salad With Basil and Anchovy-Lemon Vinaigrette

Updated Feb. 20, 2024

Niçoise Salad With Basil and Anchovy-Lemon Vinaigrette
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(1,390)
Comments
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Here is a riff on a classic French salade niçoise. Traditionalists drape anchovy filets across the finished salad, but here, they're minced and used only in the dressing. Anchovy admirers can certainly add more for garnish — and anchovy avoiders can simply leave them out. The only cooking is boiling the potatoes and haricots verts, which can be done together in the same pot. Add a jammy egg or two if you like. Dressing the vegetables while warm helps them absorb all the good flavors more deeply, making this a salad that manages to be intense and light at the same time.

Featured in: A Cool Niçoise Salad for Summer’s End

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1large garlic clove, minced
  • 2anchovy fillets, chopped
  • ¼teaspoon salt, more as needed
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¾teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ½teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • cup olive oil, more as needed
  • ¼pound baby red potatoes
  • ½pound haricots verts or green beans
  • 1tablespoon finely chopped basil
  • 8radishes, cut into wedges, or 1 slender cucumber, peeled and sliced
  • 2large, ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges, or 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2(6 or 7-ounce) cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained
  • 4hard-boiled eggs (optional)
  • ½cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
  • Black pepper, for serving
  • Flaky sea salt, for serving
  • Torn basil leaves, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

472 calories; 32 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 34 grams protein; 654 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the vinaigrette: Using the flat side of a knife, smash garlic clove, anchovy fillets and salt into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in lemon juice, zest and mustard. Using a whisk, slowly pour in olive oil while stirring constantly. Adjust seasoning as needed.

  2. Step 2

    Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover them with 2 or 3 inches of cold water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. When water comes to a boil, continue cooking potatoes until fork tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Add haricots verts during the last 1 minute of cooking (if using regular green beans, add them during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking depending on how thin they are). Drain vegetables and let sit until cool enough to handle but still quite warm. Halve potatoes, transfer to a small bowl along with the haricots verts and dress everything to coat with some (but not all) of the vinaigrette. When completely cool, toss in chopped basil.

  3. Step 3

    On a large platter or four individual plates, arrange potatoes and haricots verts, radishes or cucumbers, tomatoes and tuna, and hard-boiled eggs, if using. Scatter olives over the top and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Serve garnished with black pepper, flaky sea salt and torn basil leaves.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,390 user ratings
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Comments

I disagree....the anchovies, garlic and basil made this a standout for a vinaigrette...maybe you didn't use enough...absolutely fantastic....chose the radishes rather than cucumber...

Nicoise is one of my favorite salads but sometimes gets dull. The anchovies perked it up and I laid the remaining ones from the can on the salad. The fresh basil leaves were a nice touch as well, but fresh basil leaves will make anything taste good., I DID think the dressing was worth the effort. Lovely summer meal.,

I had high hopes for this lemon vinaigrette with anchovies & garlic, but it's a lot of work and doesn't deliver much more punch than the plain old red wine & olive oil that I've used for decades. Back to the tried and true.

My mom’s friend Charles Clement (mid-century sculptor) taught her to marinate the beans and tomatoes in the vinaigrette. It’s so good that way!

I'm on Team Radish, as well as Team Anchovy-Infused Dressing. Grate the garlic into the dressing for better flavor infusion and better texture. A fun recipe. :)

Double the dressing

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