Nicoise Salad
The well-known Nicoise Salad, or Salade Nicoise in French; is a delicious, refreshing and traditional salad from France in which fresh produce of the market are complemented with typical Provencal seasonings. Originating from Nice in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, this mixed salad has definitely made the Mediterranean traditional gastronomy transcend borders!
The tasty and colourful Nicoise Salad can be served on its own as a main Provencal dish, but it is also common to order it in the typical French Brasseries as a garnish for meat or fish dishes. Bringing into your plate the warmth of France’s sunny Côte d’Azur, this crudités salad usually includes tomatoes, anchovies, black olives, capers, French beans and lemon juice.
Respecting the traditional Provencal gastronomy, the seasoning is made with olive oil, basil and garlic, but it can also include parsley or mustard to get a French vinaigrette dressing.
Widely known as Salade Nicoise, this typical salad is in harmony with the cooking style of the refresing and sunny city of Nice in Provence. That is why it should be only prepared with fresh vegetables from the market. Regional variations have been created, replacing the beans by fava beans or artichokes, and adding tuna, potatoes, boiled eggs and crispy lettuce. Such complete Salad Nicoise is really popular amongst Frenchmen at lunchtime in summer.
The traditional Salade Nicoise must be made of only raw vegetables to fully enjoy the quality and finesse of Southern France produce.
We must admit that the Nicoise Salad has been unfortunately victim of its success! Now worldwide served, in authentic French Brasseries as well as in American Cafes, this traditional Mediterranean salad comes in many different forms and its 'true' ingredients are often debated. Some cooks simply serve raw vegetables on a bed of lettuce whilst others say that tomatoes are the base and potatoes are unsuitable!
Top Tip! For an authentic experience, the best way is to enjoy the well-known Nicoise Salad directly from the pleasant terrace of a French Brasserie in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur! To learn more about this warm and food-loving region of France, you can visit regions-of-france.com's complete regional guide.
