Low Carb Salad Niçoise Recipe (No Potatoes)

Yes, you can eat Salade Niçoise on a low-carb diet. This version swaps the potatoes for roasted turnips and lands at roughly 8 grams of net carbs per serving, and I promise you will not miss them.

Ahhh. Summer in the south of France. What comes to mind? If you said Salade Niçoise, you are not alone! The reason this composed salad (salade composée) is tastiest in summer is that two of the main ingredients, tomatoes and green beans, are both in season.

I first discovered this salad while working in the French part of Switzerland. I went to lunch with colleagues nearly every day, and my teammates ate a lot of salad, and in particular in the summer, lots of Niçoise salad. Whether it was a cheap little cafe or an expensive restaurant, there was a Salade Niçoise on the menu.

What Is Salade Niçoise?

Salade Niçoise is a composed French salad from the city of Nice on the French Riviera, made with tuna or anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and fresh summer vegetables, dressed in a sharp vinaigrette. It is served as a main course rather than a side.

Salade Niçoise is a popular French salad named after the Niçoise olive, a type of black olive found in southern France along the French Riviera around the city of Nice.

The salad can be made with any variety of fresh vegetables, but typically includes tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, and olives. It usually includes tuna or anchovies too (or fresh anchovy fillets). Some people add capers as well.

Why This Salade Niçoise Is Low Carb

A classic salade Niçoise is not a high-carb dish to begin with. The potatoes are the problem, and they are the only part of the salad that really needs solving. Take them out, put roasted turnips in their place, and the whole thing drops comfortably into low-carb and keto territory without losing the shape or the satisfaction of the original.

Here is roughly where this version lands per serving, based on six servings and the amount of vinaigrette the recipe actually uses:

• Calories: about 285
• Total carbs: about 11 grams
• Fiber: about 3 grams
• Net carbs: about 8 grams
• Protein: about 17 grams
• Fat: about 19 grams

If you serve it as four larger main course portions instead, that works out to around 425 calories and about 12 grams of net carbs each. Nutrition figures are estimates and will shift based on the brand of tuna you use and how heavy-handed you are with the dressing.

One more thing worth saying out loud, because nobody ever does: this salad is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free exactly as written. The only ingredient worth checking is your Dijon mustard, since a small number of brands are not certified gluten-free.

The Turnip Swap: What to Use Instead of Potatoes

When we switched to a low-carb lifestyle, we started making a low-carb version of this French classic by using turnip instead of new potatoes. To reduce the carbs even more, we've done it with cauliflower too.

The trick is roasting rather than boiling. Boiled turnip is watery and a bit sad, and it tastes like a compromise. Roast it hot until the edges go golden and the middle turns tender; it behaves like a potato, holding its shape against the vinaigrette and giving you the substantial bite the salad needs. Turnips are slightly peppery and a little sweeter than potato, which I have come to prefer.

Cauliflower florets work and bring the carbs down further, though they soften faster and will not hold up as well if you are making the salad ahead. Roasted radishes are another option worth trying if turnips are hard to find where you are, as they mellow considerably in the oven and lose most of their bite.

Do Traditional Niçoise Salads Have Green Beans?

Strictly speaking, no. A purist Niçoise contains no cooked vegetables, which rules out both green beans and potatoes. In practice, almost every version you will eat in France includes them anyway.

As I discovered recently while watching a segment on French news and then discussing it with Mr. Misadventures, the true ingredients in a classic Niçoise salad are up for debate. My hubby says traditional niçoise salad has to have green beans and tuna. Some folks they interviewed in Nice said there are no green beans. Whew, it got heated!

It turns out the people in Nice have history on their side. Jacques Médecin, a former mayor of Nice who wrote a book on the region's cooking, was emphatic. He insisted you never, ever include boiled potato or any other kind of boiled vegetable in your salade niçoise. The cooked vegetable version most of us grew up with is generally credited to Escoffier, not to Nice itself.

Which does mean that by the strictest standard my roasted turnips would not pass either, and honestly I can live with that. I am making a salad I want to eat on a Tuesday, not sitting an exam. Keep the green beans, skip them, do whatever makes you happy.

Fear not. You can temper the temperature of this disagreement by enjoying it with a chilled glass of white wine!

Ingredients and Substitutions

The full quantities are in the recipe card below. Here is what each part is doing, and what you can swap when you need to.

The tuna

Canned albacore in oil, drained. Oil-packed has more flavor than water-packed, and it matters in a salad this simple. If you use fresh tuna steaks, splash them with a hit of fresh lemon juice. Sear them rare in the middle and slice them over the top.

The olives

I have seen people make a Dijon mustard vinaigrette and swap the Niçoise olives for Kalamata olives, since they are easier to find in the grocery store. Either works. Just avoid the pre-sliced canned ones, which bring almost nothing to the party.

The vegetables

Some people add capers and green spring onions. Bell peppers are another one I have seen often. Artichoke hearts and thinly sliced fennel both suit the salad, and both stay low carb.

The seasoning

Season with good-quality flaky sea salt (or kosher salt, if you prefer) and black pepper.

The vinaigrette

The maple syrup takes the edge off the vinegar, and you use only a teaspoon in the whole batch. Swap it for a sugar-free syrup or leave it out entirely if you are counting every gram.

Quick Instructions on How to Make Low Carb Salade Niçoise

Once you have your ingredients, this salad is easy to make!

The method in full is in the recipe card. In short, it goes like this:

1. Roast the diced turnips at 375°F until golden outside and tender inside, about 25 to 35 minutes.
2. Steam the green beans for 5 minutes, then drop them into an ice bath to keep them bright and crisp.
3. Whisk the vinaigrette, adding the olive oil last in a thin stream so it emulsifies properly.
4. Toss the lettuce with about a third of a cup of dressing first, so every leaf is coated.
5. Arrange everything else on top, add a little more dressing, and serve.

Dressing the lettuce on its own before the rest goes on is the step people skip, and it makes the difference between a salad that tastes seasoned throughout and one with a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.

Make Ahead and Storage

This salad is excellent to make ahead as long as you keep the components separate and dress it only at the last minute. Once dressed, eat it the same day.

• Roasted turnips: up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. They are good cold or brought back to room temperature.
• Green beans: blanch, ice bath, dry well, and they keep 3 to 4 days.
• Hard-boiled eggs: up to a week in the fridge if you leave them in the shell, and peel them when you assemble.
• Vinaigrette: about 2 weeks refrigerated. The olive oil will solidify in the cold, so let it sit out for ten minutes and shake it well before using.
• Assembled and dressed salad: eat it the same day. The lettuce will not survive overnight.

Do not freeze any of it. Cucumber, tomato, and lettuce all collapse, and there is no coming back from that.

If you want this for work lunches, roast a double batch of turnips on a Sunday and keep the dressing in a jar. Assembly then takes about four minutes on the morning of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Detailed Instructions on How to Make Low Carb Salade Niçoise

If you are making this salad with turnips, then you need to roast them. Roast them in the oven by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and spreading the diced turnips on it. Drizzle the olive oil, sea salt, and pepper over the turnips and toss to coat.

Roast the turnips for 25-35 minutes, or until tender inside and slightly crisp outside.

While the turnips roast, set a steamer basket insert in a medium saucepan with water just below the steamer. Bring the water to a boil and add the green beans (haricots verts).

Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes, until the green beans are tender-crisp. Rinse with cold water (or give them an ice bath to keep their vibrant green color) and set aside the turnips and green beans to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.

To make the vinaigrette, add all ingredients except the olive oil to a small bowl.  Whisk to combine, then continue whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream.  Whisk until fully combined, then store in a jar until you’re ready to use it.

To build your Niçoise salad, make a bed of greens with the chopped lettuce in a large bowl along with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette.  Toss to coat every piece of lettuce fully.

Add the roasted turnips, steamed green beans, sliced radishes, sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, tuna, quartered hard-boiled eggs, and black olives to the lettuce. 

You can use fresh tuna. You will need to buy tuna steaks, grill them, let them cool, and then cut the tuna into chunks, but I just use very high-quality canned tuna.

Drizzle another 2-3 tbsp of dressing over all the additions and toss to combine.  Add more dressing if desired. 

Alternate Ingredients or Variations.

• Some people add capers and green spring onions.
• Other vegetables I have seen are bell peppers,
• If you use fresh tuna steaks, give them a splash of fresh lemon juice.
• I have seen people make a Dijon mustard vinaigrette and swap the Niçoise olives for Kalamata olives, since they are easier to find in the grocery store.
• Season with good-quality flaky sea salt (or kosher salt, if that is your preference) and black pepper.

Serve, and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Nutrition (per serving, based on 6 servings)

Calories 285 · Total Carbohydrates 11g · Fiber 3g · Net Carbs 8g · Protein 17g · Fat 19g
Nutrition information is an estimate only.

Photography and recipe development by Heather Englund of Fit Mama Real Food

See the step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Salad Nicoise Recipe

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Salad Nicoise is a popular French salad that consists of greens, potatoes, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tuna. It is usually dressed with olive oil and vinegar. It is a healthy and filling meal that can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner.

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

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Ingredients

• Salad Ingredients:
• 3 turnips, diced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
• 1 head of red leaf lettuce, chopped
• 6 radishes, sliced thinly
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced in half length-wise, then into small moon-shaped pieces
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 - 5 ounce cans of albacore tuna in oil, drained and broken into smaller pieces
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, quarter
• 1/2 cup black olives, pitted
• Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the diced turnips on it. 
3. Drizzle the olive oil, sea salt, and pepper over the turnips and toss to coat. 
4. Roast for 25-35 minutes, or until the turnips are tender on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside.  Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
5. While the turnips are roasting, set a steamer basket insert into a medium saucepan with water just below the steamer. 
6. Bring the water to a boil and add the green beans. 
7. Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes to gently cook the green beans.
8. Set aside to cool.
9. To make the vinaigrette add all the ingredients except for the olive oil into a small bowl.  Whisk to combine, and then continue whisking while you drizzle the olive oil in a small stream with the other ingredients. 
10. Whisk until fully combined, then store in a jar until you’re ready to use it.
11. To build your Niçoise salad, add the chopped lettuce into a large serving bowl along with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette. 
12. Toss to coat every piece of lettuce fully.
13. To the lettuce, add the roasted turnips, steamed green beans, sliced radishes, sliced cucumbers, halved tomatoes, tuna, quartered hard-boiled eggs, and black olives. 
14. Drizzle another 2-3 tbsp of dressing over all the additions and toss to combine. 
15. Add more dressing if desired.  Serve, and enjoy!

How about you? Have you had salad nicoise? What ingredients do you use? Do tell!

Like it? PIN it!