Warm tuna Niçoise salad is the kind of lunch that feels effortlessly French, with roasted potatoes, crisp green beans, cherry tomatoes, briny olives, good canned tuna, and a sharp homemade vinaigrette all arranged on one sheet pan. It looks elegant and it takes 30 minutes.
If you love fresh and easy salads, also try my Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad and Easy Grilled Chicken Salad.
This article contains affiliate links which support us at no extra cost to you.
Jump To
- Why You'll Love This Niçoise Salad Recipe
- What Is Niçoise Salad?
- What Dressing Goes on a Niçoise Salad?
- What ingredients are in a Nicoise Salad?
- For the vinaigrette:
- For the salad:
- How to Make Warm Tuna Niçoise Salad
- How to Store Tuna Niçoise Salad
- Tips for the Best Warm Niçoise Salad
- FAQ'S
- Some other salads to enjoy:
- Warm Tuna Niçoise Salad
Salad Niçoise originates from Nice, on the French Riviera, a city that is very close to my heart. I lived in Cannes as a college student and this was the dish I ate almost every day for lunch. The version I make at home is a warm interpretation of the classic: the potatoes and beans go into the oven, the tomatoes roast until they burst, and everything comes together on the pan you cooked it in.
Why You'll Love This Niçoise Salad Recipe
- One sheet pan, minimal cleanup. The potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes all roast together and you serve straight from the pan.
- Ready in 30 minutes. With a little prep ahead, boiling eggs and roasting potatoes, lunch is on the table fast.
- Classic French flavors made easy. The homemade vinaigrette with dijon, shallot, and anchovy paste is the heart of this recipe, simple ingredients with big flavor.
- Naturally gluten free, Whole30, and Paleo. No substitutions needed.
- Great for meal prep. Roast the vegetables and boil the eggs ahead of time and assembly takes 10 minutes.
What Is Niçoise Salad?
The traditional Niçoise salad comes from Nice, in the south of France, and is made with lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, olives, eggs, anchovies, and tuna. In France it is typically made with raw vegetables, though warm versions like this one are common and just as classic.
You will also see variations made with artichokes, roasted peppers, and even salmon in place of tuna. This sheet pan version roasts the potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes for a warm and satisfying take on the original.
What Dressing Goes on a Niçoise Salad?
The classic Niçoise dressing is a simple French vinaigrette made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and shallot. I add a small amount of anchovy paste for an umami backbone that makes the whole salad taste more complete. You can find anchovy paste in a squeezable tube near the canned fish at most grocery stores. My favorite part of this whole recipe is honestly the vinaigrette. I make a double batch and use it on everything all week.
What ingredients are in a Nicoise Salad?
This is what is needed to make this delicious French inspired salad. My favorite part of the whole recipe is probably the vinaigrette! You can double the recipe and use it on so many different salads:
For the vinaigrette:
- extra-virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- shallot
- dijon mustard
- anchovy paste (sold in a squeezable tube, usually found next to the canned tomatoes at the grocery)
- salt
- pepper
For the salad:
- baby new potatoes (or other similar small white or yellow potatoes)
- salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh green beans
- cherry (or grape tomatoes)
- Niçoise Olives (can substitute Kalamata or other Black Olives)
- canned tuna fish, packed in olive oil
- hard boiled large eggs
How to Make Warm Tuna Niçoise Salad
Make the vinaigrette: Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, seal with a lid, and shake until completely combined. You can also add everything to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the halved potatoes in a large zip top bag with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat evenly. Spread onto the prepared sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- While the potatoes roast, prepare the green beans. You can steam them over 1 inch of boiling water for 4 minutes until crisp tender, or toss them with the tomatoes in olive oil and roast them alongside the potatoes in the final 10 minutes. Steamed green beans stay brighter and more crisp, while roasted ones get a little more color and deeper flavor.
- After the potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and flip the potatoes. Add the green beans and tomatoes to the pan, keeping them in a separate section from the potatoes. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the potatoes are golden and crispy.
- Assemble the salad: While the vegetables finish roasting, drain the tuna and place it in a bowl. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Add the olives to the vegetables directly on the pan.
- Place the dressed tuna in the center and arrange the quartered hard boiled eggs around the edges. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over everything and serve directly from the sheet pan, or transfer to a large serving platter.
How to Store Tuna Niçoise Salad
This salad is best eaten fresh, but the components store well separately. Keep the roasted vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the vinaigrette in a jar for up to one week and shake before using. Hard boiled eggs keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. Assemble everything just before serving for the best texture.
Tips for the Best Warm Niçoise Salad
- Anchovy paste is worth it. Even if you do not love anchovies on their own, a small amount dissolved into the vinaigrette adds depth without any fishiness. My mother-in-law's homemade Calabrian anchovies are my secret weapon here, but the store bought paste works beautifully.
- Use good tuna. Tuna packed in olive oil has a completely different texture and flavor from water packed tuna. This is the most important ingredient in the recipe, so do not skip on quality here.
- Roast the potatoes first. They need 15 minutes in the oven before the green beans and tomatoes are added. You want them crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Steam or roast the green beans, your choice. Steamed green beans stay brighter and more crisp tender. Roasted green beans get a little color and more concentrated flavor. Both work well and it comes down to personal preference.
- Make it ahead. Roast the vegetables, boil the eggs, and make the vinaigrette up to a day ahead. Store everything separately and assemble just before serving.
FAQ'S
It is a complete meal on its own, but a piece of crusty bread or a simple green salad alongside it makes a very satisfying lunch or light dinner.
Both are traditional. The classic French version uses raw or room temperature vegetables. This sheet pan version is served warm, with roasted vegetables straight from the oven. Either way is delicious.
Kalamata olives are the most common substitute and work very well. Any good quality black olive packed in olive oil will do the job.
Absolutely. Seared fresh tuna is a delicious upgrade. Season a tuna steak with salt and pepper, sear it in a hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side, and slice it over the salad instead of the canned tuna.
Yes. Roast the vegetables, boil the eggs, and make the vinaigrette up to a day in advance. Store each component separately in the fridge and assemble when ready to serve.
Some other salads to enjoy:
- Easy Grilled Chicken Salad
- Chicken Avocado Salad
- Panzanella Tuscan Tomato and Bread Salad
- Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
Pin for later!
To keep it simple, you could plate out from the sheet pan. The salad could also be served on a platter for lunch or dinner. This salad will serve 4 people.
Warm Tuna Niçoise Salad
Ingredients
VINAIGRETTE
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon anchovy paste sold in a squeezable tube, usually found next to the canned tomatoes at the grocery
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
SALAD
- 12 ounces baby new potatoes or other similar small white or yellow potatoes halved or quartered (I used regular potatoes peeled and sliced into small chunks)
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 ounces fresh green beans trimmed
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes whole or halved
- ½ cup Niçoise Olives can substitute Kalamata or other Black Olives
- 2 4.5 ounce cans tuna fish packed in olive oil; drained and flaked
- 4 hard boiled large eggs quartered or sliced in half
Instructions
VINAIGRETTE
- Place all of the ingredients in a jar, seal with a lid, and shake until completely combined. Set aside. You could also put all the ingredients in a food processor (I have a mini one)and combine until smooth; set aside.
ROAST VEGETABLES
- Preheat oven to 425°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed sheet pan with foil or parchment paper; set aside.
- Place potatoes in a large zip top plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss gently to coat all of the potatoes evenly with the oil.
- Spread potatoes onto prepared baking sheet (save the plastic bag so that you can use it again with the green beans and tomatoes). Roast the potatoes in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring once.
- While the potatoes are in the oven, put the beans in a steamer basket and steam over 1 inch of boiling water until crisp-tender, 4 minutes; set aside.
- A green bean option: If you prefer to have crispier green beans, steam them for a few minutes longer. And instead of roasting in the oven with the potatoes and tomatoes, just set aside the green beans when they're steamed and crispy and wait for the potatoes and tomatoes to be ready.
- After the potatoes have been roasting for 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use a spatula to gently flip over the potatoes to the other side. Transfer the green beans and the tomatoes onto the baking sheet with the potatoes in a single layer. Keep the green beans and tomatoes on a separate section from the potatoes.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes for about 10-15 more minutes (stirring halfway through), or until vegetables are tender. Keep an eye on the potatoes, because very small potatoes will be done in about 20 total minutes, while larger potatoes will need closer to 30 minutes. Roast the potatoes until they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
- If you notice the potatoes need more time and the green beans and tomatoes look ready, remove the green beans and tomatoes and place them on a serving dish and let potatoes finish roasting. You don't want over brown green beans. They should just begin to get a little bit of color.
- Meanwhile, drain the tuna and place in a bowl. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to coat.
- When the vegetables are ready, remove from the oven and let them cool down a few minutes. I served my salad right on the sheet pan. If you prefer, you could arrange it all on a serving dish.
- Add the olives to the vegetables.
- Place the tuna in the middle of the vegetables and arrange the sliced hard boiled eggs on top. Drizzle on a little bit of the dressing and serve with the extra dressing on the side. Serve while warm.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
This was amazing...ty
Hi Tina-Thank you for taking the time to let me know you like my tuna nicoise salad! Happy you enjoyed it!