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I love potato salad. I love the creamy kind<\/a>, the vinegar-y kind<\/a>; I\u2019ll take a warm one with dill<\/a>, whatever you\u2019ve got. And yet, I\u2019m about to make a bold claim: this potato salad might be my favorite. Why? Because it\u2019s decidedly not<\/em> a side dish. It\u2019s the whole damn meal.<\/p>\n This recipe comes to us from Melina Hammer<\/a>, who calls it a \u201cNi\u00e7oise-ish\u201d potato salad, because it\u2019s souped up with tuna, eggs, and other classic Ni\u00e7oise elements. \u201cYou get those bright, bold flavors,\u201d says Melina. It adapts easily for the season, she adds, suggesting winter radishes \u2014 like purple daikons or watermelon radishes \u2014\u00a0if you make it this month. \u201cYou can also swap the green beans for two cups of chopped escarole or Napa cabbage, and I\u2019m always a fan of thawed frozen peas. No need to cook them any further \u2014 just toss \u2019em in!\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the full recipe, plus some pointers from Melina:<\/p>\n Ni\u00e7oise-ish Potato Salad<\/strong> 3 eggs Bring a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs by an inch to a boil. Lower refrigerator-cold eggs into the water and cook them on a simmer for 8 minutes, then plunge the eggs into an ice bath until they are cool enough to handle. Peel and then slice the eggs into six wedges apiece and set aside.<\/p>\n Bring the potatoes to a simmer in well-salted water. Cook for 8 minutes or until they yield easily when pierced with a sharp knife. Strain them into a colander with a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl and add the oil, mustard, black pepper, and capers. Gently toss to fully coat.<\/p>\n Blanch the green beans in the potato water for 30 seconds to 1 minute \u2014 just long enough for them to turn bright green. Strain, and add to the potatoes. Add the tuna, flaking the fish into the bowl, followed by the radishes and chives. Toss to incorporate, then add the eggs and lemon juice. (Note: \u201cIf you\u2019re making this a day or more in advance, hold the lemon juice and add it just before serving,\u201d says Melina. \u201cOtherwise, it will dull the color of the green beans.\u201d) Gently toss once more. \u201cI like to use a silicone spatula and work up from the bottom of the bowl, folding the ingredients together with a light hand so the yolks remain mostly<\/em> intact.\u201d<\/p>\n As you serve the potato salad, make sure to scoop up all the last bits of custardy egg, straggler chives, and mustardy goodness clinging to the sides of the bowl. Enjoy.<\/p>\n Melina Hammer<\/a> is a chef, food stylist, recipe developer, and the award-winning author of A Year at Catbird Cottage<\/a>. Her recipes have appeared on Bon App\u00e9tit, Food52, and Edible. You can follow her newsletter, Stories from Catbird Cottage<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n What other dinner salads do you love? And do you have a house salad<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.S. Five ways to upgrade a regular green salad<\/a>, and white bean soup<\/a>, because it\u2019s February.<\/p>\n (Photos courtesy of Melina Hammer<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
by Melina Hammer<\/a><\/em>
Serves 4<\/p>\n
salt
1 dry quart small red potatoes (approximately 2 lbs), any larger ones sliced in half
1\/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1\/4 tsp (or more) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp capers, strained
2 1\/2 oz thin green beans, stem ends trimmed and sliced into 1 1\/2-2 inch segments on a diagonal (or swap for peas, cabbage, etc)
1 5-ounce can albacore tuna
3 radishes, ends trimmed and sliced in halves, then thinly sliced
2 tbsp finely sliced chives
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice<\/p>\n![\"nicoise](\"https:\/\/cupofjo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Nicoiseis_Potato_Salad_01.jpg\")
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