April 10, 2025

Healthy Recipe: Nicoise Salad

This quick yet filling salad is a delicious French classic that’s perfect for a light midweek meal.

By Independence Good Living

Cody C/for PhillyVoice

Bright, fresh, and packed with nutrients, this quick and easy Tuna Niçoise Salad puts a wholesome twist on a beloved French classic. It’s the ideal midweek meal — light yet satisfyingly filling. Brimming with calcium and vitamins C, D, and K, each bite supports bone health while delivering vibrant flavor. Not a fan of kale? Feel free to swap in baby arugula or a leafy mix without spinach. While spinach is calcium-rich, it also contains oxalates that can hinder your body’s ability to absorb that crucial mineral.

Niçoise salad — makes 1 serving

Ingredients:
• 6 thin green beans
• 3 cups of finely shredded baby kale
• 2 oz. of tuna, water-packed canned
• ¼ cup of chickpeas (15-oz.), drained and rinsed
• 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• ¼ green, red, and yellow bell pepper diced (about 3 small peppers)
• 6 pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of shallot, minced
• ½ teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt

Directions:

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook just until bright green and barely tender, about 60 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water (or transfer to an ice bath).
In a bowl or on a plate, place the kale. Arrange the green beans, tuna, chickpeas, egg, tomato, bell pepper, and olives on top, keeping each item grouped together.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over top of the salad. Alternatively, toss the kale with half the vinaigrette before topping with the remaining ingredients, then drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
Tip: If you’re feeling especially French, divide the parts of the salad between 2 six-inch pieces of whole-grain baguette; drizzle the vinaigrette over the cut sides of the bread first to soften it.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 364
Fat: 19
Saturated fat: 4
Cholesterol: 209
Sodium: 724
Carbs: 25
Fiber: 8
Sugar: 4
Protein: 25
Calcium: 387