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Home » Recipes » Salad

Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad

Published: Sep 25, 2014

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I am very happy to announce my sister's wedding date is only one month away! With the big event only a couple of weeks away, I have to step up my game and go on a diet! That means bringing back the salads. Yes, it may now officially be fall everywhere else in the world but it's still 89 degrees here in Los Angeles, so that gives me even more of an excuse to break out the greens. Wanting to try something new, I decided to make my very first tuna Nicoise salad. This particular salad never caught my eye with the olives, egg, and tomatoes, but with a little update, it quickly became my favorite. Seared ahi tuna Nicoise salad for weeks to come!

tuna nicoise salad
tuna nicoise salad
tuna nicoise salad
Print Recipe

Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad

Total Time45 mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: French
Keyword: seafood
Servings: 2
Author: Cherry on My Sundae

Ingredients

Tuna marinade

  • 8 ounces fresh ahi tuna
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 1 small orange
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

White wine vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 garlic minced
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Salad

  • ½ cup fingerling potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup green beans
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives
  • 2 tablespoon capers
  • 5 cups mesclun greens

Instructions

  • Peel lemon, lime, and orange. Reserve peels and save fruit for another time. Season tuna with salt and pepper on both sides. Combine with citrus peels, rosemary and olive oil in a Ziploc plastic bag. Marinate overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Make the dressing. Mix together white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon zest, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and garlic in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Cut fingerling potatoes in half. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 8 minutes. Drain and place eggs in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Peel eggs and cut in half.
  • Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat, drain and immediately shock in an ice bath until cool.
  • Remove the tuna from the marinade, discarding the aromatics. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet or cast iron pan over high heat until hot. Sear the tuna for 2 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove the tuna from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into ½-inch slices.
  • Toss together mesclun greens with the potatoes, egg, green beans, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Divide onto two plates. Top with seared ahi tuna and drizzle vinaigrette on top. Serve immediately.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Tuna Nicoise salads are traditionally very lightly seasoned with a simple vinaigrette. This doesn't mean that it can't be flavorful as well!

marinate the tuna

Marinate the ahi tuna in herbs and lemon, orange, and lime zest to give it a nice citrus flavor. This marinade is similar to one that we used to use at the restaurant I worked at but instead of sous vide the tuna the next day, I decided to sear it.

sear the tuna

When searing the tuna, make sure your pan is hot and when I mean hot, I mean HOT! You want to create a nice crust on the outside but still, keep a pink interior. I like my tuna more on the rare side so I only sear it for one minute on each side. If you like the tuna rare as well, make sure to buy sushi-grade fish.

assemble the salad

Fingerling potatoes, kalamata olives, heirloom cherry tomatoes, green beans, and a boiled egg are tossed with greens and the white wine vinaigrette to create a beautifully balanced salad. If you want to make it extra special, swap out the egg for a quail egg! Easy on the waist and oh so tasty, what more can you ask for?

tuna nicoise salad

For more salad inspiration check out this loaded Greek chicken salad!


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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Sommer @ASpicyPerspective

    September 27, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Oh, how I wish this gorgeous salad was sitting in front of me right now! Pinned

    Reply
    • cma0425

      September 29, 2014 at 1:48 am

      Thanks for visiting!

      Reply
  2. eunice

    September 30, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    i need diet! i want salad! wedding blah!

    Reply
    • cma0425

      September 30, 2014 at 8:13 pm

      Lol go to tender greens. they have lots of salads

      Reply
  3. Ellen

    January 27, 2021 at 1:56 am

    Hi!
    This is a delightful salad, though the instructions are missing the bit about how to sear the tuna.

    Reply
    • Cherry on My Sundae

      January 27, 2021 at 2:20 am

      I'm so sorry about that! I added the instructions for the tuna now. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

      Reply

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Hey there! My name is Christine and I'm a chef during the day and food blogger at night. Welcome to my world highlighting what's in season, sharing travel tidbits, and just living a simple life in the busy city of Los Angeles.

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