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!
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.
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:-)