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elleng

(139,679 posts)
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 04:14 PM Jun 1

l love tuna Nicoise salads; ALWAYS!!!!

Pre-pandemic, lunch was easy. I ate leftovers or got a takeout burrito and my husband went to one of the food carts near his office downtown. Then, there was a lockdown, and suddenly I had another daily chore: fixing lunch for the both of us.

This soon became a grind. Once, after we had downed yet another boring tuna salad sandwich, I had had enough. I vowed to come up with an idea that would make tuna much more interesting.

I tapped into my memory of traveling in the sunny south of France, where I fell in love with tuna Niçoise salads. I took my favorite parts of this French classic—good-quality canned tuna, ripe tomatoes, and briny olives—and mixed them up for a light salad topping. The juiciness of the tomatoes meant I didn’t need any mayonnaise here.

I piled the chunky mixture onto slabs of crusty homemade bread (another pandemic cooking skill) and topped the open-face sandwiches with grated Gruyère cheese. A few minutes under the broiler et voilà: lunch in Nice (almost). These open-face Niçoise-inspired tuna melts remain a regular part of my lunch repertoire today because, as my husband put it, “It’s like a tuna sandwich with a French accent.”

ALWAYS!!!!!

I didn't write this, but my sentiment is identical!!!

Got olives yesterday, so will have them soon.

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HappyH

(55 posts)
1. Mrs Happy refuses to be in the same house with any tuna product
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 04:27 PM
Jun 1

but this sounds delicious! The next time she is somewhere other than here, I'm fixing this for my lunch.

murielm99

(31,995 posts)
7. I agree with Mrs. Happy.
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 06:45 PM
Jun 1

My mother was a terrible cook. She burned me out on horrible tuna casserole.

hlthe2b

(110,096 posts)
4. My favorite--but gotta have the French green beans, a little hard-boiled egg, a few boiled red potatoes,
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 05:14 PM
Jun 1

a little red onion, and it might be the only time I'd not mind a little anchovies added.

But, fresh nicoise salad is the best, no matter how you put it together.

erronis

(20,058 posts)
5. Yes - dinner tonight. I also use mackerel or good sardines.
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 06:06 PM
Jun 1

Most of the ingredients are optional, except for a good dry white wine such as a Vouvray (chenin blanc.)

BumRushDaShow

(154,069 posts)
6. "Got olives yesterday, so will have them soon."
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 06:37 PM
Jun 1

Green or black (or even kalamata)?

I keep cans of tuna in my pantry (just made tuna mac for dinner) and when available, will use my supermarket bonus points to get a "free" can!

elleng

(139,679 posts)
8. Green, black, AND! kalamata!)
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 06:51 PM
Jun 1

but very salty.

I have 4 cans of tuna in pantry, and will use them more regularly.

May have Summer salad with blackened rockfish tomorrow, more exciting than 'ordinary.'

H2O Man

(76,881 posts)
10. Recommended.
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 07:00 PM
Jun 1

I wouldn't use hard boiled egg with tuna, but the rest sounds good. I love olives, and put them in a variety of foods. My 2.5 year old grandson loves them on pizza.

BigmanPigman

(53,117 posts)
11. In 1997 I traveled to France and I first tried it
Sun Jun 1, 2025, 07:03 PM
Jun 1

and I still love it! When you have fresh ingredients it makes a difference.

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