This low FODMAP steak Niçoise salad is fresh, filling, and totally gut-friendly. It’s a classic French-inspired dish, minus the digestive drama.
How do you generally feel about salads?! I’m a fan. Like a huge fan. And if you’re not, I can almost guarantee that this low FODMAP steak Niçoise salad will change that. It’s super easy to make and totally customizable (this is my gut-friendly take on the classic Niçoise salad). Go ahead. Get Creative. Have your own take on my take.
I always have been a salad fan, even as a kid. It’s probably the array of toppings. Or the vast variety of things you can do with ‘em. Perhaps it’s the endless dressing combinations and what have you. Or maybe it’s the fact that almost anything can be a salad these days. Or turned into a salad these days. Salad just knows what’s up.
I, no lie, ate a huge salad for dinner every.single.day I worked at my last bar job. And I worked at least 5x a week for 5 years!!! Now that’s A LOT of salad. And the funniest part about it? It was (unlike me) pretty much the exact same salad that whole entire time and I never once got sick of it!!!! In fact, I even craved it some days!!!!
SHOULD A NIÇOISE SALAD BE SERVED HOT OR COLD SALAD?
For the longest time, I was a cold salad kinda gal. I wasn’t opposed to adding some “hot things” aka cooked ingredients but I just never did. You can bet that I ALWAYS have the ingredients to make some sort of salad at home. However, it’s only up until recently that I started cooking things to add to my salads.
Why am I just making this glorious discovery now? Could be laziness. Could be because we normally have a meal with a side salad as oppose to an actual meal-sized salad. But these days, that’s exactly what we’ve been having. And since salads have been our actual meals instead of just a side, you best believe ya sista’s put her fancy pants on.
LET’S TALK Niçoise Salad
Oh em gee. See, here too. I’m guilty. Why have I never had a Niçoise Salad before this one?! I know, I know. Supposed salad lover, eh? It took the low FODMAP diet to get me here, y’all. I’ll just blame it on having yet to go to France. Or the hot-cold thing I was going on about earlier as this one obviously has 4 hot components.
You see, there was this regular customer I used to serve at this sports bar I worked at back in the day. The guy hardly ever ordered any food but when he did, it was a salad, with chicken. Now, the thing about Mike was that he famously sounded like a broken record every single time he did so because he never failed to tell me to “tell the kitchen guy not to put the hot piece of chicken on top of the cold salad.” At the time, I just thought he was annoying and crazy.
Years later, and as a self-proclaimed salad connoisseur, I don’t know whether to admit he was definitely on to something or if he just forever instilled a fear of wilty lettuce in me. Ah, the impact people can have on your life, let me tell ya.
THE GOODS IN THIS LOW FODMAP STEAK NIÇOISE SALAD
The dressing, which I’ve honestly been using for every single salad I’ve made in the past like 4 months, permanently lives in a squeeze bottle on the condiment rack in my fridge. It’s just THAT good + so super simple to make + you probs alwayssss have the 4 basic ingredients right there on hand like I do. Dijon mustard (ya gotta have this one. It’s a must in this house and I use it to spice up all kinds of dishes on the reg!). Olive oil (try infused if you’re feelin’ a little crazy or on the LOFO Diet, like us). Apple cider vinegar (it’s 2021, how do you not have ACV in your kitchen?!) And salt (which like, does that even count as an ingredient?!) Tell me how it gets any simpler than that, I’m waiting.
The steak I used here is a top sirloin but you could use whatever you have on hand or your favourite cut. Hell, you don’t even have to use steak if that’s not how you roll or what you’re feeling like for the day. You could use chicken, canned tuna, or fresh tuna (a really good option!) or just keep it plain Jane and add a few extra toppings (unless of course, you’re low FODMAP, then you gotta be watching your portions!)
The toppings can kinda be customized to your likings but a Niçoise is a Niçoise because of a few key ingredients: Green Beans. Baby New Potatoes. Hard Boiled Eggs. Some sort of Lettuce-type Greens at the bottom. Olives. And Tomatoes.
TO TOSS OR NOT TO TOSS?!
So, I’m generally a no question toss-my-salad kinda gal – I just love taking bites of the whole thing mixed together as intended to eat. I actually cringe when I eat a salad next to someone who a) pours their dressing in once place over top the salad and b) doesn’t mix it all in before indulging!!!
WTF, BRO?! It’s no wonder some people hate salads. But when we start getting fancy like we do here and we’re adding cooked ingredients, that ol’ regulars voice pops right back into my head….to toss or not to toss?! I think I’m all about waiting for ingredients to cool before mixin’ ‘em in with my cold lettuce. I gotchu, Mike, I gotchu.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The signature ingredients! A classic Niçoise includes tuna or steak, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, and hard-boiled eggs, all arranged beautifully (and not tossed together). It’s colourful, protein-packed, and feels fancy without being fussy, especially when adapted to fit a low FODMAP diet.
“Niçoise” (pronounced nee-SWAHZ) means “from Nice,” the sunny city on the French Riviera. So a Niçoise salad is basically a salad in the style of Nice. Fresh, Mediterranean, and packed with simple, vibrant ingredients.
Flank steak, skirt steak, or sirloin are all great choices for steak salad. They’re flavourful, cook quickly, and slice up beautifully against the grain for tender bites. For this recipe, use whatever cut you love or have on hand, just don’t overcook it! I used a piece of top sirloin!
Traditionally, Niçoise salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette that is usually made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sometimes anchovy or garlic. In my low FODMAP steak Niçoise salad, we keep it gentle on the gut with a FODMAP-friendly dressing made from apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard… still tangy, still tasty, and totally digestive-friendly.
A Niçoise salad will last about 2 to 3 days in the fridge if stored properly in an airtight container. For the best texture, it’s a good idea to store the dressing separately and keep components like steak, eggs, and potatoes chilled on their own until you’re ready to eat. The salad is still tasty the next day, but things like tomatoes and greens can get a bit soggy if fully dressed ahead of time.
MORE GREAT SALADS FOR YOU TO MAKE THIS WEEK
P.F. CHANG’S CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAP SALAD
MEXICAN STREET CORN PASTA SALAD
SPINACH SALAD WITH PEARS, WALNUTS, AND BLUE CHEESE
LOVE THIS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
LOW FODMAP STEAK NIÇOISE SALAD
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD
- 2 handfuls Green Beans washed and trimmed
- ½ cup Sliced Olives*
- ½ cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 4 Hard-Boiled Eggs quartered
- 12 Baby New Potatoes
- 1 handful Arugula
- 2 handfuls Mixed Lettuce of Choice
- 1 10oz. Steak of Choice*
- Salt and Pepper to taste
FOR THE DRESSING
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring the steak to room temperature to allow for even cooking. Heat an indoor grill to medium high heat. Salt and pepper the steak on both sides right before placing it on the grill. Once the grill is hot and ready to go, grill for 5 minutes on the first side and 3-5 (depending on thickness) for the second, for medium rare. Adjust cooking time to your own liking and preference. Remove from grill, place on a cutting board with a pointed piece of foil overtop (not touching the steak, think of it as a tent) and rest for at least 10 minutes. Then slice into strips.
- Wash the potatoes and cut any large ones in half. Place 'em in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce and simmer for 12-15 mins or until they can easily be pierced through with a fork. Drain. Toss with a tbsp of the salad dressing, a little more salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Using the same pot, bring about 5 cups of salted water to a boil, then add the beans. Cook for 2 minutes then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry with paper towel and set aside.
- Add a handful of mixed lettuce to two separate plates or bowls. Top with a half handful of arugula each.
- Spilt the beans, potatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs, and tomatoes amongst each bowl and place 'em in groups on top of the greens.
- Drizzle with as much dressing as desired. Season with salt and pepper. Top each salad with half the sliced steak. Mix everything together well before eating!
Notes
Nutrition
The links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting HipHipGourmet!
