These Nicoise Salad Lettuce Wraps are a unique twist on a delicious classic French inspired salad. Full of heart-healthy tuna, eggs, veggies and potatoes with a tangy red wine vinaigrette they are perfect for summer dinners on the back porch!
If you’ve never had a classic Nicoise Salad, you are so missing out! Every salad love should try a version of this salad at least once. It’s got a ton of delicious flavors and is actually quite good for you.
This classic French salad isn’t often seen on menus at your typical restaurants nowadays, but I remember trying it at a local French bistro many, many years ago. Unlike a traditional vegetable salad you might see today, the Nicoise includes things like green beans, olives, potatoes and hard boiled eggs. The main protein in a Nicoise salad is fish, usually anchovy or tuna, but sometimes salmon or other types of seafood.
How Do You Make a Nicoise Salad?
A traditional Nicoise Salad recipe includes both tangy and salty flavors. For my Nicoise Salad Lettuce Wraps, I chose tuna over anchovies (you’re welcome) and included green beans, tomatoes, baby potatoes and olives. The dressing is a simple red wine and olive oil blend with lots of garlic, capers and black pepper.
I marinated the tuna for a while in the dressing, to keep it moist and tender, then layered everything in butter lettuce cups. The flavors are amazing together, they compliment each other so well. The potatoes might sound a little odd, but they add a wonderfully soft texture and smoothness.
If you’ve only ever had a mayo based tuna salad, you’re in for a real treat. The red wine vinaigrette is a welcome change from mayo and mustard, and gives a nice tangy yet smooth flavor to the tuna in these Nicoise Salad Lettuce Wraps.
I love lettuce wraps – they are such a fun way to eat a salad, but they can get messy so be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand!
Love tuna? Love Lettuce Wraps? Here are some more delicious recipes to try:
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps
- Salmon Patties
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon Lettuce Wraps
- Easy Chicken Club Lettuce Wraps
- Tartar Sauce Recipe
Nicoise Salad Lettuce Wraps Recipe:
Nicoise Salad Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Lettuce Wraps:
- 1 head Butter lettuce or iceberg, Romaine
- Grape tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise
- fresh green beans trimmed
- Baby potatoes
- sliced black olives
- Hard boiled eggs
- 14- ounce can tuna drained well
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, capers and a pinch of salt and pepper. (Or shake in a tightly sealed container, like a mason jar, until emulsified).
- Add tuna to a medium size bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the tuna and mix together with a fork, breaking up the tuna. Set aside.
- Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil (about halfway full). Scrub the potatoes clean, then add the whole potatoes to the boiling water. Boil for 8 minutes, then add the trimmed green beans to the pot. Continue to boil for an additional 4 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath for 5-10 minutes to cool.
- Tear lettuce leaves, keeping the leaves whole. Rinse and dry completely. Set aside.
- To assemble, layer the ingredients on the lettuce leaves (use a slotted spoon for the tuna). Drizzle on additional dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
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