Peruvian-Inspired Tuna Niçoise Salad
A composed Peruvian-Inspired Nicoise salad with seared ahi tuna, lots of fresh ingredients, and a cilantro lime dressing.
Ingredients
Seared Tuna
- 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste see Notes below
- juice and zest of 2 limes about ¼ cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 to 12 ounces ahi tuna steaks +/-
- ½ teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- 8 ounces/226 g tiny potatoes see Tips in post
- 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans trimmed
- 2-4 eggs 1 per person
- 1 bunch radishes sliced thin
- 1 cup tiny tomatoes sliced lengthwise
- 10-20 olives
- 1 ripe but firm avocado sliced or cubed
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- lettuce leaves
Cilantro-Lime Dressing
- ¼ lime juice fresh is best!
- ¼ cup oil - olive grapeseed, avocado, etc.
- 2 teaspoons sherry or wine vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
- 1 shallot - cut in pieces
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- several grinds of pepper and sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Add marinade ingredients (lime juice and zest, garlic, ají amarillo paste) and tuna steaks to a zip bag. Knead bag to combine. Rest 30 minutes +/-, turning once.
- Cook the potatoes and green beans. I use a steamer, and cook them together. I start the potatoes, and add the green beans to the steamer about 15 minutes in. Total time is about 25 minutes for these tiny potatoes. Remove the green beans from the steamer and put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- Add all cilantro-lime dressing ingredients to a blender. Pulse until smooth. Check for seasoning, then set aside.
- Hard boil the eggs. Follow this Perfect Boiled Eggs if you need pointers.
- Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise, thin slice the radishes, and slice or cube the avocados.
- Remove the ahi tuna from its marinade, scraping excess from the fish. Season with sea salt and pepper on both sides. Sear the tuna on high heat, whether that's on your grill or on the stove. That means the surface temperature should be 425° to 450° f. Cook 2 to 4 minutes on a side for rare to medium. Please don't overcook it!
- Slice the seared tuna, arrange a bed of lettuce on an appropriately sized platter. Working in sections, add the tuna, potatoes, green beans, avocado, tomatoes, radishes, olives, and eggs. Drizzle with cilantro-lime dressing, and serve the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Ají amarillo is a Peruvian pepper. Some people think it's hot, but we find it pretty mild. I would suggest dipping a finger in it to decide for yourself. If you're uncertain, use the lesser amount of chile paste!
Macronutrients are an approximation only from MyFitnessPal.com, and based on 3 servings, 3 ounces of ahi tuna, 1 tablespoon of cilantro lime dressing, 1 egg, and 5 olives per person. (These are the high calorie ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 28gFat: 35g
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