Tuna Niçoise with Olive Tapenade

Serves 4 · 25 min prep · 20 min cook

Ingredients

• 12 oz baby potatoes
• 8 oz green beans, trimmed
• 4 large eggs
• 2 (5 oz) cans oil-packed tuna, drained
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 head butter lettuce leaves
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 tbsp capers, drained
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 anchovy fillet (optional)

Instructions

1. 1Place the baby potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold salted water by 1 inch, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook 12 to 15 minutes until a knife slides in easily; drain and let cool slightly before halving.
2. 2While potatoes cook, bring a second small pot of water to a boil, add the eggs gently, and boil exactly 8 minutes for jammy yolks; transfer immediately to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel and halve.
3. 3In the same boiling water used for eggs (or fresh), blanch the trimmed green beans for 3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender; shock in the ice bath, then pat dry.
4. 4Make the olive tapenade by pulsing the Kalamata olives, capers, olive oil, minced garlic, optional anchovy, and black pepper in a mini food processor until coarsely chopped but not pureed; stir in chopped parsley.
5. 5Whisk the remaining olive oil with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and remaining pepper to create a bright vinaigrette.
6. 6Arrange butter lettuce leaves on four plates as a base. Nestle the halved potatoes, green beans, halved eggs, drained tuna chunks, and cherry tomatoes in separate colorful sections on each plate.
7. 7Spoon a generous dollop of olive tapenade beside the tuna on each plate and drizzle everything lightly with the lemon-Dijon vinaigrette.
8. 8Finish with an extra grind of black pepper and a few whole olives if desired; serve at cool room temperature for the classic Niçoise experience.
9. 9For meal prep, keep components separate in containers and assemble at lunchtime so nothing gets soggy.
10. 10The tapenade can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge under a thin layer of olive oil.