the south of france has been calling me
Let’s be honest – the south of France is always calling me. And a Niçoise salad with fresh seared tuna is the just the fix I need to feel like I’m dining al fresco on the Côte d’Azur. But since I’m instead dining in my Brooklyn apartment, I decided to make this classic recipe into a lovely weeknight grain bowl. Over a bed of hearty farro, add some blanched green beans, soft red potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and cherry tomato. And don’t forget the “cherry” on top” Lightly seared tuna that melts in your mouth with every bite. Bon appétit!
⟶ the recipe
niçoise grain bowl with seared tuna
ingredients
1 cup farro
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
2 large tuna steaks
Salt and pepper
1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, sliced
4 eggs, hard boiled and sliced in half
A few sprigs of parsley
For the dressing
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 ½ teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh dill
Salt and pepper
Prep time
45 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
1 hour
4 servings
instructions
Cook farro on the stove according to package instructions, and set aside to cool once cooked.
Fill a medium saucepan with water and a pinch of salt and bring water to a boil. Add the green beans, and blanche for about 3 minutes, until bright green. Remove green beans from the water using tongs, and place in an ice bath to cool. Set aside for a few minutes, and then place green beans on a towel to dry.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes using a colander, and then place them in an ice bath to cool. After a few moments, re-drain the potatoes in the colander.
Prep the tuna steaks by rubbing them thoroughly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Heat some oil in a skillet on medium-high heat, and then add the tuna steaks. Sear the first side for about a minute, and then flip. Sear the second side for about 30 more seconds or until desired doneness. There should be some pink in the center, but the edges should be browned. Transfer the tuna steaks to a paper towel-lined plate, and allow them to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the farro among 4 shallow bowls. Do the same with the green beans and potatoes. Once cooled, slice the tuna steaks into slivers and add those to the bowls. Then, disperse the cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, and eggs. Drizzle the dressing over top each bowl and garnish with a few sprigs of parsley.
⟶ recipe notes
- While I wanted everything to be nice and cool for this grain bowl, you can cook everything in quicker succession and serve it warm. I find it difficult to get the potatoes, green beans, and tuna ready while keeping them warm, but you can always reheat everything on the stove when you’re ready to serve
⟶ modifications
- If you don’t have access to fresh fish or don’t have the time, you can always use canned tuna for this recipe as well
- Farro is one of my favorite grains to cook with, but you can sub a ton of other different grains here as well. Quinoa, barley, and freekeh are all great choices. Not in the grainy mood? Simply add everything to a bed of lettuce instead
⟶ make it ahead
- I would definitely hard boil the eggs before making the rest of this dish. That way they’ll have plenty of time to cool off and you can peel them in your own time
- You can also blanche the green beans and cook the potatoes ahead of time and just store them in the fridge until ready to use
