Tomatoes Niçoise Recipe (2024)

My husband hates anchovies. What else can I use or can I just eliminate?

I prepared a kind of combination of this salad with Mr. Tanis' recipe for Tomato Salad with Anchovy Toasts. I placed the sliced tomatoes on a bed of arugula; added a Niçoise touch, some marinated haricots verts and a bit of French potato salad; I then finished the plate with hard boiled eggs, quartered and olives and capers. The anchovy toasts were like icing on the cake. A wonderful summer dinner.

What's the difference between cutting a tomato crosswise into two thick slices and cutting it in half? Should the stem and blossom ends of the small red tomatoes be shaved off?

What a wonderful inspiration. Just pick a few beautiful tomatoes (different colors are nice), slice them thick (make sure your knife is sharp), and throw the cherry tomatoes with in the vinaigrette on top. Add (or don't add) anchovies, basil, capers, and olives, and voila: you are in France. Gorgeous to look at on a large platter; make it your own!

So easy to make, however I did not use anchovies. With a plentiful crop this year the different colored tomatoes make not only eye appealing but a delicious salad. A suggestion would be to add a sprinkle of feta cheese.

I made this last night for two of us, and we ate the whole thing, with slices of crusty bread and some fresh mozzarella on the side for protein. It was easy, delicious, and beautiful. I wouldn't change a thing about the recipe. The tomatoes were good by themselves, on the bread, and with the mozzarella. Be sure to buy good anchovies--good anchovies are firm and relatively easy to pick up--mediocre anchovies are flimsy, stick to each other, and fall apart as you try to pick them up.

Use common sense. Small cherry and grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, are completely edible--no need to chop off the stem end. Tiny tomatoes can be left whole. Larger ones: cut in size and shape needed--halved, sliced, diced--removing the core or slicing it off. The blossom end is fine to eat, may not look as decorative as slices. In response to the "use sharp knife" comment above: use a serrated knife to slice tomatoes.

I loved this! After a lifetime of avoiding anchovies, I tried this recipe, using only about half the vinaigrette. I put a small amount of cold cooked quinoa on my platter to absorb the excess tomato juices and vinaigrette, along with a little feta and treated it as a main dish. I will definitely make this again, but only when I have access to great fresh tomatoes. I sliced one large red tomato and garnished with Sungold cherry tomatoes.

Use anchovy paste mixed with the oil. Adds taste without the "fish".

The dressing's ugly and delicious so I served it in a ramekin in the center. The full basil leaves look great in the photo, but a chiffonade will get eaten quicker.

add
drizzle some balsamic reduction over the salad.
It'll really brighten up the dish

My family doesn't like anchovies either but I add a little anchovy paste to sauces and this dressing. Gives it flavor but not fishy if you have a gentle touch.

If you do not have good anchovies or don't like them, for the dressing, try extra capers with some Worcestershire, and then maybe serve with good quality oil packed tuna.

Made this for dinner a couple nights ago, ate it on a bed of greens with some canned tuna on top. Excellent hot night meal.

The first time, by mistake I forgot my chiffonade of basil and the capers. The second I added the basil (v. good) and the capers. (I didn't like as much with as without, but husband liked better with - so I think the choice is personal.) This is a splendid salad - bountiful, beautiful and delicious. A winner that will go in my late summer repertoire for all time to come.

Great recipe. To make it a one dish meal we added 8 min boiled eggs, boiled potatoes and from the garden Armenian cucumber and French beans.

We loved this salad - made as directed except I used anchovy paste instead of anchovies because that's what I had - so no anchovies on the salad. I think I would love some garlic-y croutons with it to soak up the tomato juice - September beauties. Delicious!

Loved it

Perfect. Wouldn’t change a thing!

A + as is.

Used farmer’s market tomatoes and basil. Followed the recipe. So good. Will definitely make it again. Served with grilled cheese as a summer take on grilled cheese and tomato soup. Delicious.

Used Worcestershire instead of anchovy and it was great. Betting fish sauce would be even better.

We loved this. The dressing is scrumptious. We added anchovy paste to it, since I’m not a fish lover. Delicious!

I doubled this recipe for a potluck gathering. I served it on a large, sectioned white platter, which showed off the tomatoes to perfection. Some of my "small" tomatoes were yellow instead of red, but that just added to the colorful presentation. It was quite the show stopper when I unwrapped the platter at the event. (Yes, I sliced off the stem and blossom ends of the small tomatoes and saved those parts for some panini. Too yummy to waste!)

This is as good as the tomatoes. In our case, excellent. We added goat cheese and more than 12 basil leaves.

So good I ate this for dinner by itself. I changed nothing but I may add some hearts of palm next time. If only all meals were this easy to prepare.

Diverging from the recipe, just before serving I flash pan fried the halved small tomatoes (like I would for an full English Breakfast, eg). It elevates this recipe, IMO, as the anchovy filet "melts" into the tomato.

Wonderful with summer's bounteous tomatoes. We are a bit shy of anchovies, but they plus capers added a terrific tang. Put some marinated mozzarella on the side, which gave it a caprese touch.

@antonia, try capers in place of anchovies.

Store had no shallots so I used tiny white onions from farmers market. Had to look up the meaning of "macerate." It turned out great. I loved the dressing. Sharon G. sent me this recipe link in an email. I so appreciated it.