This Quick Nicoise Style Salad is very popular with the whole of my family. In fact it’s often met with a whoop of delight from my kids, especially when I serve it with their favourite garlic bread!
Technically Salad Nicoise should have anchovies draped on it according to Wikipedia but as we are not keen on them we leave them out. So if you like them feel free to put them on top or add to the dressing! Some chefs add blanched green beans to their Nicoise but when you come rushing in the door and need a quick meal, a ripe avocado is in my opinion a more delicious and simpler alternative.
Up until recently I had used an off the shelf creamy dressing, which, although nice wasn’t exactly economical or fresh. Hence I went on a cyber search for the solution and had to look no further than Lucy Vaserfirer’s blog Hungry Cravings – link here. She kindly let me reproduce this version and I don’t think you’ll ever need to buy a shop bought creamy dressing again after tasting this one!
This salad is just summer on a plate!
For more main meal salad recipes you might like the following:
- Prawn & Egg Salad
- SPAM Salad with Garlic Croutons & Gruyere
- Chilli Prawn and Pasta Salad
- Grilled Halloumi Salad
- Smoked Mackerel & Chickpea Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Radish Asparagus Avocado Salad
- Beetroot, Squash & Feta Salad
Pin my Quick Nicoise Style Salad for later!
Quick Nicoise Style Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Head of Mixed Salad Leaves washed
- 2 Tins tuna in oil drained
- 4 Free range eggs boiled & quartered
- 2 Avocados sliced into eighths
- 4 Vine ripened tomatoes cut into segments
- 24 Kalamata olives pitted
- For Quick Creamy Salad Dressing:
- 125 ml Mayonnaise reduced or full fat
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 to 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 ½ tsp Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 tbsp Water
- Chives to taste snipped
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Garnish:
- Chive flower petals optional
Instructions
- First whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, chives and water. Season to taste.
- Next arrange the salad leaves over 4 plates.
- Then arrange the rest of the ingredients on top of the leaves finishing with the olives.
- Dress with the Quick Creamy Salad Dressing and serve with warm crusty wholemeal baguette or garlic bread.
Nickki
This salad looks delicious and I love the sound of the dressing. Pinned & Yummed!
Camilla
Thanks Nikki, a firm family favourite, we had it tonight in fact:-)
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Lovely looking salad. I dont mind a little anchovy on mine but use to hate them. Love the idea of reolacing the beans with avocado will definately try that next time and the cream dressing looks lush!
Camilla
Thank you Jacqui, I might grow to love anchovies one day:-)
Janice
How very delicious and perfect for the warm weather we’ve been having. As a fan of anchovies I’d be adding them to my Nicoise!
Camilla
Thanks Janice, I might come round to anchovies eventually:-)
Candace
If you took the olives out I’d be straight round to try some! Looks delicious
Camilla
You can make it to your own taste for sure. My daughter is vegetarian now so she has extra egg instead:-)
Ursula Hunt
I love a good salad
Camilla
Thanks Ursula, this is our favourite:-)
sarah
Avocado, eggs, tomatoes..garlic….sounds like my kind of salad! It looks so pretty too!
Camilla
Thanks Sarah, must make this soon, we love it:-)
Jo of Jo's Kitchen
Lovely looking salad. Looks delicious!
Camilla
Thanks Jo, it really is;-)
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
This salad looks delicious. I love that you’e crammed in so many good veggies. This would be my ideal lunch on a day like today. Shame I’ll be stuck in the work canteen…
Camilla
Aaw, thanks Emma – maybe something to make at the weekend if the weather holds out or even if it doesn’t:-)
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours
Great use of the chive flowers Camilla – although you are a heaven for not liking the anchovies. Never mind. All the more for me!
Camilla
Thanks Helen, I have slightly come round to anchovies since writing this post but this salad is just perfect as it is so will stick them in pasta instead:-) Chive flowers are such a revelation!
Sylvia
This is by far the best salad! I love eggs with tuna and lots of crispy lettuce 🙂 Lovely photos too!
Camilla
Thank you Sylia – that’s why I just had to re-shoot as previous pics did it no justice!
Katie Bryson
I love salads like this – so fresh and summery. I’d substitute the mayo for light creme fraiche for a bit of extra zing 🙂
Camilla
Thanks Katie – that sounds like a great idea:-)
shobha
What a delicious salad platter..
Camilla
Thanks Shobna:-)
Karen
LOVELY salad Camilla, I see I have commented on this before, but it’s too good to miss, so here I am again!
Camilla
Thanks Karen, but in the update as well as new photos I added Chive flowers after you said one could eat them:-) They were fab!
Elizabeth
Such a great lunch idea! Beautiful vibrant colours, and good for you too!
Camilla
Thanks Elizabeth yes it’s really healthy:-)
Mayuri Patel
The salad looks so fresh and delicious, though I would have it without the tuna. Its a great idea to add avocado as it makes it filling. I love making my own dressings at home, they are always fresh and cheap.
Camilla
As Nigel Slater always says “a recipe is just a starting place” so it’s great to put your own mark on a dish:-)
shobha
Lovely salad.. perfect for a light meal.
Camilla
Yes it’s a lovely dish to quickly put together on a hot day:-)
Jane Davies
This looks delicious ! Will be great to try this when the family are round for a BBQ !
Anne Dalzell
I’m not really into salads as i always feel like i’m going to go away hungry but this looks like it might fill me with all the avocado, tuna and egg in it. Might have to brush my teeth afterwards though!
Camilla
You must have some garlic bread too and it’s definitely filling:-)
William Gould
Wow! This looks really good!
Paul Wilson
Looks light and super tasty.
bev
Looks too good to eat!
Heather Haigh
Made this a few times now. Lovely recipe for summer.
Camilla
Thanks, everyone loves it here:-)
Jayne Sullivan
This looks delicious. The perfect meal for a warm summers evening.
Ursula Hunt
Great salad, looks delicious
Paul Wilson
This is a lovely salad.
casspuss
this will be my next meal yum x
Heather Haigh
I love eggs and avacados – think I will try this. 🙂
Evelyn Moffat
I could eat that right now lol
Lisa Williams
it nearly looks to good to eat but I don’t think I have that kind of will power hehe
Heather Haigh
Having this for lunch. 🙂
Zoe
This salad looks great! I wish that I can have this for my lunch 😀
Janice
I love a Nicoise salad, but I have to have the anchovies! Preferably fresh ones rather than the little ones in a tin, but they will do. I’d forgotten about one ingredient, will see if I can include some toms in my menu
Camilla
Ooh Janice, people who know me well know that I have 3 food pet hates which are Blue Cheese, Anchovies and Capers but if push came to shove I could eat the later 2 but the first just makes me feel ill!
nazima WLM
oh a lovely nicoise. Thanks for sharing it and great photos! lovely dressing too. I always make the same old vinaigrette dressing for salads so will have to try this one out!
Camilla
Glad I’ve inspired you to try something new!
rita cooks italian
Your salad looks fantastic! I was browsing the foodblogs network because I am looking for good recipes for quick and healty lunches (my in laws are coming next week and stay with us…). This sounds easy and simple compare to the traditional recipe. I agree about the dressing, after tasting a freshly made creamy dressing, you can’t buy a shop bought creamy dressing again.
Camilla
Wow Rita, thank you for your lovely comment; I hope your inlaws enjoy this!
Mich - Piece of Cake
This is one of my favourite salads, there is no doubt at all. Yours looks really lovely for a light and healthy lunch.
Camilla
Thank you. It is also good as an evening meal especially if you add quartered new potatoes and garlic bread!
Karen @ Lavender and Lovage
Niçoise salad is MUCH disputed in France and what should or shouldn’t be in a Niçoise salad are hotly debated! I am in the green beans and anchovies school….with potatoes too of course, but my French neighbour says NO potatoes, so who knows! Your salad looks lovely though. Karen
Camilla
Hi Karen
Knew I’d be in trouble if I called this just Nicoise but couldn’t come up with a snappier name so settled on Style to convey the general feeling of this salad. I often throw new potatoes in it too as I never cook less than a bag of them and find plenty of uses for the cold leftovers!
Jacqueline @How to be a Gourmand
Oh I do love a good Tuna Nicoise Salad. The dressing really helps to make a salad and this looks like a good one 🙂
Camilla
Hi Jacqueline, thank you do try it:)
Laura@howtocookgoodfood
I do love a salad and this super quick Nicoise is just perfect as it’s a salad that is packed full of goodies, all of which I love. My kids would adore this too as they are keen olive and tuna fans, I need to persuade them a bit more about the avocado though.
A very lovely entry for One Ingredient…..Thank You!! xxx
Camilla
Hi Laura, thank you for your lovely comments. The beauty of a salad is that you can tailor each plate to each persons palate unlike a cooked dish!