Julia Child’s Salad Nicoise Recipe

I love my twist on Julia Child’s Timeless Vinaigrette salad. Tender new potatoes, crisp green beans, juicy tomatoes, and Niçoise olives mingle with capers and anchovy. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with red wine vinegar completes it all, offering a salad that feels perfectly balanced and intriguingly layered.

I love sharing this recipe of Julia Child’s Salad Nicoise because it’s like taking a mini trip to France without leaving my kitchen. The blend of tender, boiled new potatoes and crisp, blanched green beans creates a simple yet bold base for this dish.

I also add ripe tomato wedges and quartered, hard-boiled eggs for a richer taste and texture. Then, to really bring out the flavors, I toss in Niçoise olives and capers that give the salad its signature bite.

Sometimes I even throw in a couple of anchovy fillets, knowing they add an extra punch that you just can’t beat. The dressing is just as classic, made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

This salad is a proper nod to timeless French recipes and it never fails to intrigue your taste buds. Enjoy and let the flavors do the talking!

Why I Like this Recipe

I love this recipe because it always reminds me of our family gatherings where everyone gets excited about trying something light and full of flavor. I appreciate how simple it is to put together, yet it manages to pack a real punch with its mix of tangy and savory tastes. I enjoy the balance of textures and flavors— the creamy eggs, crisp veggies, and robust olives and capers make every bite interesting. Plus, I like that I can serve it right away or let it chill in the fridge for an even more melded flavor experience.

Julia Child’s Salad Nicoise is basically a cool mix of fresh veggies like boiled new potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and some hard boiled eggs with olives, capers, and even anchovy fillets if you’re feeling adventurous. The care you put into prepping each ingredient really shows off in the final dish. The dressing, which is just extra virgin olive oil combined with some red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard, brings everything together nicely. It might seem simple, but its a really tasty dish that manages to be both humble and hearty at the same time.

Ingredients

• New potatoes: They offer hearty carbohydrates and fiber, making every bite real satisfying.
• Green beans: They add crunch, vitamins and a crisp freshness that lifts the salad.
• Eggs: Rich in protein and fats, they gives creaminess and help bind the salad.
• Tomatoes: Offering juicy sweetness and tang, they brighten the dish with natural flavor.
• Niçoise olives: Their briny, healthy fats add savory depth and a unique accent.
• Anchovy fillets: They pack an umami punch and salty zest, elevating overall flavor.
• Capers & shallots: Their sour, tangy notes and mild bite balance richer ingredients.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 lb small new potatoes, boiled and quartered
• 1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and blanched
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
• 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 4 anchovy fillets (optional but really add a punch)
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to Make this

1. First, make sure your ingredients are ready – the small new potatoes are boiled and quartered, the green beans are trimmed and blanched, the hard-boiled eggs are peeled and quartered, and the tomatoes are cut into wedges.

2. In a large salad bowl, put in the prepared potatoes, green beans, eggs, tomatoes, Niçoise olives, capers, and if you like that extra flavor, add the anchovy fillets.

3. Next, add the thinly sliced shallot to the bowl.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard until the dressing is smooth.

5. Season the dressing with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

6. Pour the dressing evenly over the salad and gently toss everything so that all the ingredients get coated.

7. Give the salad a few minutes to let the flavors blend together.

8. Taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

9. Serve your Salad Nicoise immediately if you like it fresh, or let it chill for a bit in the fridge.

10. Enjoy your salad with a smile and know that you just made a classic dish just like Julia Child intended!

Equipment Needed

1. A large pot to boil the potatoes and hard-boiled eggs
2. A medium pot for blanching the green beans
3. A colander to drain all the boiled and blanched items
4. A cutting board for quartering the potatoes, eggs, and slicing the shallot and tomatoes
5. A sharp chef’s knife for all your cutting needs
6. A large salad bowl to combine all the salad ingredients
7. A small bowl to whisk up the dressing
8. A whisk to mix the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard
9. Measuring cups and spoons to get the dressing ingredients just right
10. A pair of tongs or a large spoon to gently toss all the ingredients together

FAQ

Julia Child’s Salad Nicoise Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Instead of new potatoes, you could use fingerling potatoes. They have a similar texture and flavor, just be sure to adjust the cooking time.
• If you can’t get fresh green beans, try lightly steamed asparagus spears. They offer a comparable crunch and add a slightly different twist.
• Niçoise olives can be tricky to find sometimes. Kalamata olives work well as a substitute but you might need a pinch more salt since they tend to be less salty.
• If you don’t have capers available, try using chopped green peppercorns. They bring a similar tangy burst without overpowering the rest of the salad.
• For the anchovy fillets, you can use a dab of anchovy paste instead. It spreads more evenly and still gives that punchy flavor that makes the salad stand out.

Pro Tips

1. Try to cool your boiled potatoes and blanched green beans completely before tossing the salad; if they’re too warm they might make the dressing lose its punch and the flavors wont really mix well.
2. If you decide to include the anchovy fillets, consider lightly warming them in a small pan with a tiny bit of olive oil first; this can help mellow out their strong taste without overpowering the other ingredients.
3. Let your salad rest for about 5 minutes after you mix in the dressing so all the flavors can blend together – this small wait time really makes a big difference in taste.
4. Taste the salad before serving and adjust the salt and pepper accordingly, especially because ingredients like capers and olives already bring a lot of saltiness, so you dont want it to end up too salty.