Protein-rich munchies, like no-bake energy balls and protein cookies, are all over the place these days. But if you don’t have a sweet tooth, a homemade savory option is equally as good. One such snack is a tuna Niçoise protein pot, which takes its inspiration from the classic French salad that features tuna, eggs, and veggies.
A traditional tuna Niçoise salad is made with a hearty mixture of boiled eggs, potatoes, tuna fish, green beans, tomatoes, leafy greens, and a vinaigrette-style dressing. To recreate these flavors in snack size all you need to do is eliminate the leafy greens and stack the remaining elements into a tub to make your protein pot (feel free to nix the potatoes too if you’re after a low-carb option). This move guarantees that your snack remains texturally complex — if you include the salad leaves they’ll soak up the dressing and get soggy. As leafy greens are low in calories and protein, you’ll still be creating a highly nutritious snack by omitting them from the recipe. Moreover, hardier, snappable veggies, like green beans, still contain plenty of filling fiber and are less likely to lose their bite. Doubling up on the protein, with both flaked tuna and eggs, turbocharges this snack, transforming it into a super-satiating mini-meal. The dressing brings each element of this protein pot together, lending it satisfying richness and tangy flavor. Adding a fermented item, like olives, will boost the probiotics in your snack and benefit your gut health too.
Tips for prepping your tuna Niçoise protein pot
To make boiled eggs with the yolk texture you want, it always pays to use a timer. Six to seven minutes of boiling is about right for an egg with a jammy center. Simply boil a couple of minutes longer for hard boiled, or less for a runnier texture. To save on the washing up, steam your green beans over your eggs as they simmer or toss them straight into the pan towards the end of the cooking time so they remain crisp. However, you can be flexible here — use shelled peas, edamame, or snow peas if you have them on hand. As long as you have a fiber-filled veggie to pair with your eggs, you’ll create a filling snack.
Want a punchier dressing than a mellow emulsion made with oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings? Gordon Ramsay transforms the dressing for tuna Niçoise salad by mixing the anchovies and capers that are usually scattered over the top into the vinaigrette itself. This results in a pungent umami dressing that’s salty, meaty, and briny all at one. Placing your dressing at the bottom of your snack container and following up with the green beans, tomatoes, tuna, and egg will infuse your hardy vegetables with flavor as they sit. Then all you need to do is mix them together moments before eating.
