Nicoise Salad with the Thermomix® is on the table in 30 minutes and makes 4 servings with just 268 calories per plate. The trick: We cook 3 eggs for 15 minutes in the Varoma at speed 1, chop the iceberg lettuce, radicchio, pepper and tomatoes in that time, then use the same empty mixing bowl to make the dressing in 10 seconds. One machine, no extra pot, no whisk.
We have been making this salad for years whenever we need something fast that still fills you up. Nicoise salad is not a leaf salad but a combination of raw, cooked and jarred ingredients. That is exactly what makes it a proper meal rather than a side dish. If you fancy some bread alongside, our pizza dough with the Thermomix® works just as well shaped into a flatbread.
Nicoise Salad with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 17 ✓
- 500 g water
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
- 1/2 head radicchio
- 1 yellow pepper
- 3 tomatoes
- 200 g fine green beans (from a jar)
- 150 g tuna in brine drained
- 150 g artichoke hearts marinated
- 1 onion
- 50 g olive oil
- 20 g Aceto balsamico
- 100 g water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp medium-hot mustard
Instructions 0 / 9
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1
Cook water and eggs.
Add water to the mixing bowl, hang in the steaming basket, place the eggs in the steaming basket and cook for 15 min / Varoma / speed 1.
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2
Prepare the lettuce.
Meanwhile, wash the iceberg lettuce and radicchio, tear into pieces and place in a large salad bowl.
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3
Slice the pepper.
Wash the pepper, remove the stalk and seeds, cut into strips and add to the salad.
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4
Quarter the tomatoes.
Wash the tomatoes, halve them, remove the stalk, cut into eighths and add to the salad.
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5
Add the beans.
Drain the green beans, tuna and artichoke hearts and add to the salad.
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6
Cool the eggs.
Rinse the eggs under cold water, peel and quarter them. Empty and rinse the mixing bowl.
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7
Chop the onion.
Peel the onion, halve it, place in the mixing bowl, chop for 5 sec / speed 5 and push down with the spatula.
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8
Mix the dressing.
Add the remaining dressing ingredients and mix for 5 sec / speed 4.
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9
Serve.
Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve immediately garnished with the eggs.
Tip: A fresh baguette with herb butter goes really well alongside.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the Thermomix® handles two steps at once here
The reason the Thermomix® really earns its place in this recipe is parallel processing. While the 3 eggs cook for 15 minutes in the Varoma at speed 1, we prep all the raw ingredients and fill the salad bowl. The cooking time is not waiting time but working time. By the time the eggs are done, the bowl is already full.
Then we empty the mixing bowl, give it a quick rinse and make the dressing in the same bowl. 50 g olive oil, 20 g Aceto balsamico, 1 onion, 1 tbsp medium-hot mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp white pepper come together in 10 seconds as an emulsified dressing. By hand, you would need to whisk the oil and vinegar separately and chop the onion apart. The Thermomix® does both in one go.
How we blend the dressing in the right order
The order makes the difference to the texture. We put the halved onion alone into the mixing bowl first and chop it for 5 seconds at speed 5. Then push down with the spatula, add the remaining dressing ingredients and mix for just 5 seconds at speed 4. Speed 4 brings the oil and vinegar together without whipping in too much air.
If we blended everything together at speed 5 or higher, the oil would foam and the dressing would turn cloudy rather than glossy. With 50 g oil against 100 g water plus 20 g balsamic, the emulsion is stable enough to hold for about ten minutes before it starts to separate again. Just give it a quick stir before serving and it is fine.
Where we depart from the original and why
Few salads spark as much debate among cooks as the Salade Nicoise. The first mention from 1893 lists only tomatoes, olives and anchovies, all raw. The famous chef Escoffier added cooked potatoes and green beans in 1903, which purists still reject today. And in Nice the rule is: either tuna or anchovies, never both together.
We go for the everyday version: tuna instead of anchovies, because almost everyone has a tin in the cupboard. Jarred fine green beans instead of freshly cooked ones, because that saves 30 minutes. Plus artichoke hearts and pepper for more substance. This is not the original from Nice, but a salad that is ready in half an hour and fills you up. Anyone who wants something closer to the classic can leave out the pepper and artichokes and add 50 g of black olives instead.
These mistakes cost the salad its crunch
Tuna in oil instead of brine
Tuna in oil will float in the dressing later and make the salad greasy and heavy. That adds on top of the 50 g olive oil already in the dressing and throws off the balance.
Our fix: Always use 150 g tuna in brine, drain it well and break it up roughly with a fork before it goes into the bowl. That way the dressing remains the only source of fat.
Cutting the lettuce with a knife
Iceberg lettuce and radicchio oxidise at cut edges and turn brown. Cut with a knife, the salad looks unappetising after an hour.
Our fix: Tear half a head of iceberg lettuce and radicchio each by hand into bite-sized pieces. Torn leaves stay crisp for longer. Iceberg holds its texture considerably longer than round lettuce, which is why it is our base.
Cooking the eggs too early and tossing them in
Hard-boiled eggs develop a green ring around the yolk after a few hours. This is a harmless reaction between sulphur and iron during slow cooling, but it does not look great. The quarters also crumble if they are tossed through the salad.
Our fix: Rinse the eggs under cold water immediately after the 15 minutes, peel, quarter and place them on top as a garnish just before serving. Do not toss them in and they will stay whole.
Cooking fresh beans instead of using jarred ones
Fresh green beans would need to be cooked separately and cooled down. That takes too long for a salad that should be ready in 30 minutes and requires an extra pot.
Our fix: Use 200 g fine green beans from a jar. Jarred beans are already cooked, have a good bite and keep their colour. Just drain and add. If you prefer fresh beans, cook them for an extra 10 minutes in the Varoma above the eggs and the workflow still fits.
How to adapt the Nicoise Salad to the occasion and your taste
Classic with olives: Leave out the pepper and artichokes and add 50 g black olives and a few capers instead. That comes closest to the original from Nice.
With potatoes for extra substance: Cook 400 g waxy potatoes, diced, in the Varoma for 20 minutes (instead of 15, which keeps the timing in line with the eggs). This turns the salad into a complete main meal, very much in the style of Escoffier.
Anchovies instead of tuna: Anyone who wants the salty umami note of the original can replace the tuna with 8 to 10 anchovy fillets. In that case, halve the salt in the dressing or it will be too salty.
Vegetarian: Leave out the tuna and add 150 g diced feta and a second portion of artichokes instead. The eggs still provide the protein.
What turns the salad into a complete summer meal
Nicoise Salad is filling enough to serve as a main course, but we like to round it out. Freshly baked bread soaks up the dressing beautifully. For a dipping sauce when grilled meat joins the table, our BBQ sauce with the Thermomix® is a great match. And if you like the dressing style here, our burger sauce with the Thermomix® is the punchy version for bowls and wraps.
How long Nicoise Salad keeps in the fridge
A dressed Nicoise Salad should be eaten the same day. The dressing softens the lettuce and tomatoes after a few hours and the iceberg loses its crunch. In the fridge, the finished salad keeps for half a day at most.
Better to prepare the components separately. Cut vegetables keep in a sealed container for 1 to 2 days, and the dressing in a jar keeps for 5 days. We only combine everything shortly before serving. Freezing does not work for this salad: neither the lettuce, nor the tomatoes, nor the boiled eggs survive being thawed.
Frequently asked questions about Nicoise Salad with the Thermomix®
Goes well with: Baguette and Focaccia.
More quick Thermomix® recipes for summer: try our pizza dough guide and BBQ sauce with the Thermomix®.
