Low FODMAP Salade Niçoise – Elegant & Easy
When I was growing up, a Salade Nicoise would appear on humid, hot summer nights; the kind of nights when it is too hot to cook, but when you still need sustenance.
Our Low FODMAP Salade Nicoise will become a welcomed addition to your summer dinner repertoire. I even love it for entertaining, since everyone can pick and choose what they want.
A Little of This, A Little of That
Salad Nicoise is a classic French dish – a salade composé, meaning that it is composed on a plate as opposed to tossed in a bowl.
The classic ingredients are tuna, steamed green beans and new potatoes, hard-boiled egg, Nicoise olives, and tomatoes. A bed of lettuce usually appears as well.
The dressing is usually a mustardy vinaigrette, but that can vary – white wine vinegar, red wine, vinegar – there can be some variation.
And the anchovies? Well, we know the world seems to be divided into pro-anchovy and those that cannot abide by them.
We say include them because the naysayers can just not indulge while the rest of us can!
For additional takes on salad nicoise, check out our smoked trout version and our salmon rendition.
Let’s Talk Tuna
The tuna is the star and you might think that to make it “good” that you would need to use fresh tuna steaks – but nothing could be further than the truth.
You can and should use canned tuna, preferably oil packed and to be more specific we suggest very high quality imported tuna that comes in glass jars.
Read our article All About Canned Tuna. There is more to canned and jarred tuna than you might think, and since it is a super convenient, economical low FODMAP protein we encourage you to take the time to familiarize yourself with all of its benefits and check out our shopping tips.
For instance, did you know that water-packed tuna isn’t packed in water and contains FODMAPs? Read the article!
Versatility & Convenience
Another thing we love about Salad Nicoise is that you can make some components ahead.
The green beans, potatoes and eggs can all be cooked a day ahead, refrigerated and then brought back to room temperature before serving, if you like.
The dressing could be made ahead, too.
For a take on this salad, but tucked into a sandwich, check out our Pan Bagnat!
And check out 18 Ways to Use Canned Tuna for lots of easy meal ideas.
Low FODMAP Salade Niçoise
We love this Low FODMAP Salade Niçoise as dinner on a hot summer's night. Or, make for an elegant lunch.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Garlic-Infused Oil, made with olive oil or purchased garlic-infused olive oil such as FODY’s
- ¼ cup (60 ml) white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs; we suggest a combo of tarragon, chives, and parsley, although dill and marjoram are great, too
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Salad:
- 1¼ pounds (680 g) small yellow or red waxy potatoes, scrubbed, left whole or halved depending on size
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces (340 g) slender green beans, stem ends trimmed and discarded
- 1 large head Boston or butter lettuce, cored, leaves separated, washed and dried
- ½ dry pint (142 g) cherry or grape tomatoes
- or
- 2 medium-size beefsteak tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 10 to 12 ounces (280 to 340 g) oil-packed tuna; we used a combo of white albacore and light-fleshed chunk tuna from Tonnino
- 4 large hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
- ½ cup (121 g) drained brined-packed olives, such as Niçoise or Kalamata
- 1, 2- ounce (55 g) tin oil-packed flat anchovy fillets, drained
Preparation:
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For the Dressing: Place all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar with an airtight lid and shake vigorously until combined; set aside. Re-shake right before using to re-combine.
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For the Salad: Place the potatoes in a medium-large pot and cover with salted water by 1 inch (2.5 cm) and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until just tender when pierced with a knife, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain. Place in a mixing bowl, drizzle with the white wine, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat; set aside. This may be done early on the day of serving.
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Use the same pot to bring 5 cups (1.2 L) of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for a minute or two, until just crisp tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to halt the cooking. Pat dry with a paper towel; set aside. This may also be done early in the day of serving.
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Right before serving, arrange the components on a large platter as follows: Place a tablespoon or two of the vinaigrette in a large mixing bowl. Gently toss the lettuce leaves in the dressing and arrange the leaves on a large platter. Toss the cooked potatoes in the same bowl with a few additional tablespoons of dressing and arrange in a grouping on the lettuce leaves.
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Repeat the same process with the green beans, tomatoes, tuna, and hard-boiled eggs; scatter the olives over all; and arrange the anchovies over to the side. Drizzle with extra vinaigrette right before serving, if desired, or pass the dressing alongside so that everyone can dress the salad to their taste. Serve family style.
Notes:
Tips
- This is what the French call a "salade composée" or composed salad. take the time to arrange the ingredients thoughtfully and simply make sure that everyone gets a little bit if everything - or at least of what they like!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Make sure to check out our article, All About Canned Tuna, 18 Ways to Use Canned Tuna as well as other salad recipes – such as these
- Low FODMAP Pasta with Tuna & Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Low FODMAP Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Chickpeas
- Low FODMAP Pantry Pasta with Tuna, Lemon & Olives
- Low FODMAP Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Low FODMAP Tuna Pan Bagnat – aka Best Tuna Sandwich Ever
- Low FODMAP Tuna Salad
- Low FODMAP Salade Niçoise
