Chicken Niçoise Salad

This chicken niçoise salad goes way beyond a common side salad and offers one of the best tastes of the Mediterranean. Paired with just a baguette, it makes a complete dinner. The vinaigrette is distinctively delicious.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine French, Mediterranean

Keyword Chicken Niçoise Salad

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 518kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsps. freshly minced tarragon
1 tbsp. minced shallot
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsps. anchovy paste
1 tsp. honey
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
1/4 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
2 tbsps. olive oil
2 cups (1 pint) grape tomatoes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives or niçoise olives
1/4 cup capers drained
4 hard-boiled eggs halved or chopped

Instructions

Vinaigrette:

Whisk first six vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly to blend. Season to taste. Set aside.
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsps. freshly minced tarragon , 1 tbsp. minced shallot, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tsps. anchovy paste, 1 tsp. honey, 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

Wash the red potatoes thoroughly. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add a pinch of salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain. Plunge the potatoes immediately into ice water to cool. Remove them and pat dry. Slice them into halves or coins when you're ready to assemble the salad.
1-1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
At the same time, fill another pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add the green beans to the boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and tender-crisp. Immediately transfer the green beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave them in the ice water for about 3 minutes. Drain the green beans and pat them dry. Set them aside until you assemble your salad.
1/4 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken in oil over medium-high heat until cooked through (about 8 minutes per side). Slice sautéed breasts against the grain and on the bias into about 1/4"-thick pieces.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, salt and pepper, 2 tbsps. olive oil
Prepare tomatoes and olives, by slicing them in half and pitting the olives if necessary.
2 cups (1 pint) grape tomatoes, 1/2 cup Kalamata olives

Assembly:

In a large bowl, combine potato slices, green beans, sliced chicken, tomatoes, olives and capers. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss lightly to coat. Transfer salad to a platter and garnish with hard-boiled eggs (halved or chopped).
1/4 cup capers, 4 hard-boiled eggs

Notes

Potatoes and Eggs: When it comes to the potatoes and eggs, you can slice them and add them to the salad however you prefer; coins, quarters or halved are a few ideas.

Vinaigrette: Do not skip the anchovy paste, it does not impart a fishy taste and gives the salad a distinctive taste.

For optimal outcomes when preparing this chicken niçoise salad, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition