Paleo Plan

Paleo Niçoise Salad

Paleo Nicoise Salad

This Paleo version of the classic French salad makes lunch or dinner for two adults.

Approximate cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cans tuna, drained (oil-packed works well)
  • 1 handful green beans
  • 1/2 cup black olives, pitted
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large head butter lettuce
  • 2 Tbs capers, rinsed
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place 4 raw eggs (in their shells) in a small pan, and add cold water to cover the eggs.  Cover the pan.
  2. Place over medium-high heat and bring water to a slight simmer.  Once simmering (small bubbles), cover the pan and remove from heat.  Let stand (covered) for 13 minutes.
  3. Drain the eggs, and immediately cool them in cold water after.  Remove shells, quarter the eggs and set aside.
  4. While eggs are cooking, wash and chop butter lettuce, tomatoes and green beans.
  5. Whisk the lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt & pepper into a dressing.
  6. Combine all remaining ingredients into two salads and drizzle dressing on top.
Photo courtesy: Sarah D'Ardenne

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21 Comments

  1. Claire9

    Ok, so I’ve never made a nicoise salad before but it’s definitely something I like to order when I eat out. So I was excited to try this one. Typically when I make my own salads they’re “eh, ok” but this one came out great! It was so yummy in fact, that I was almost done eating it when I realized I had forgotten an ingredient……the TUNA!!! Hahaha So it can certainly be done as a side salad option too.

  2. clconroy

    I’m brand new to this way of eating and I’m excited to get started. I’m just wondering about how much olive oil to use in the dressing?

    • Neely

      @clconry – Sorry about that! We’ll fix that recipe today to be more exact. It depends on how you like your salads (very moist or not so much), but I’d recommend about 2 tablespoons for the whole salad to feed two people.

  3. jgirl

    Yum! Nice and simple. I used spinach and cultured olives today and it was a nice substitution. Thanks!

  4. carolyn

    Wondered about the beans…thought that was a no no for paleo.

    • Neely

      Carolyn – its the old, dried up beans like black beans and pinto beans that we’re trying to avoid. Young, green beans like these don’t contain nearly as many anti-nutrients as their older counterparts.

  5. carolyn

    Neely: Thank you. I have just planted some in my garden so I won’t worry too much about them, and will eat them when young!

  6. devl2rn

    Just had this for lunch…amazing!!

  7. lintz05

    My children and I enjoy this recipe often. My kiddo who will only eat tuna with mayo will eat this willingly. We use regular boiled eggs.

  8. asdsksbs

    Great salad. Just will substitute the Tuna for Chicken next time. Otherwise it was great!

  9. Jenholt

    What are some substitutions for eggs? I have an intolerance to eggs and try to avoid as much as possible.

  10. mkdaley1

    Anyone have a suggestion for a substitute for olives. They are one of the few foods I dislike. I have read some folks suggest capers. But, this recipe already has capers. So, I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas of a substitute in this recipe and others where olives are called for.

  11. koliveiro

    loved this salad, so fresh and delicious!

  12. Hbt

    Loved this salad.. Very tasty, but was wondering about the nutritional value?

    • Neely Quinn

      Hbt – Glad you liked it! I just added the nutritional info – sorry it wasn’t in there before. It’s 719 calories, 24g carb, 45g fat, 57g protein and 8g fiber per serving.

  13. coffields88

    Hi there! I’m pretty new to the paleo lifestyle and so far am loving the recipes! The nutritional info says that it’s per serving. How is it 719 calories per serving?

    • Neely Quinn

      coffields88 – Well, all the oil, olives, tuna, eggs, etc. just add up. I did the nutritional info in myfitnesspal.com if you’d like to enter it in yourself and double check. (I triple checked it myself when I did it though because the numbers seemed so high).

  14. Erinmiriam77

    I am new to Paleo and I am just not understanding how a salad with 45g of fat is good for you. Is that nutritional value right? That is crazy.

  15. mr11316

    Are the green beans supposed to be raw or steamed?

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