Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Niçoise Salad. A generous keto salad that is hearty enough to serve as a complete main meal.
The name may sound a little unusual, but there is a reason for it. This low-carb salad is inspired by the classic French Salade Niçoise and by Gennaro’s salad from Jamie Oliver’s Italian cooking. Both versions sparked the idea for this dish, so this recipe is a tribute to them while keeping everything suitable for a ketogenic, LCHF lifestyle.
A traditional Niçoise salad usually includes potatoes, green beans and olives. Delicious, yes, but the potatoes and some of the vegetables can quickly push the carb count too high for keto. Gennaro’s version also includes potatoes, along with chillies, onions and oregano. It is a bold combination, but not one that works for me, especially because of the onions, and it still contains more carbs than I want in a keto salad.
This Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Niçoise Salad solves the carb problem by removing the potatoes and adding satisfying fats. The result is a filling, colourful and flavour-packed low-carb salad with plenty of texture. It has the freshness of leafy greens, the richness of eggs and avocado, the savoury kick of anchovies and capers, and the irresistible crispness of pancetta.
Before switching to keto, I used to make many recipes from Italian-style cookbooks, always leaving out alliums because I am allergic to them. Gennaro’s salad caught my attention immediately because it was fresh, rustic and generous, exactly the kind of dish I loved.
In my pre-keto days, one of my favourite meals was a large salad with an entire pack of breadsticks or a fresh half-baguette on the side. Whenever the munch monster was away at gigs, I would often make a huge bowl of salad and eat it in front of the television with plenty of bread. I loved salads, especially when they included starchy vegetables and more carbs on the side.
Looking back, I probably should have been born a goat. Since starting keto, my salads have changed completely. They are greener, richer in healthy fats and, of course, served without bread. The surprising thing is that I do not miss the bread when the salad itself is satisfying enough. A well-built keto salad can be fresh, crunchy, salty, creamy and deeply filling all at once.
This Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Niçoise Salad is a perfect example. It includes green leaves, eggs, tuna, anchovies and capers, elements that echo the classic Niçoise salad. Then avocado and pancetta are added for extra richness, healthy fats and a more substantial bite. In my opinion, this keto version is more satisfying and even tastier than the original inspiration, but you can judge that for yourself.
Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Niçoise Salad: How to Make It
This keto Niçoise-style salad is very easy to prepare. You need to cook cubed pancetta, or bacon if you prefer, until it is crisp enough for your taste. You also need to boil the eggs so they sit somewhere between soft-boiled and hard-boiled, with firm whites and a yolk that still feels rich and tender.
The eggs are probably the trickiest part of the whole recipe, but there is no need to worry. Even if they are slightly softer or firmer than planned, the salad will still taste delicious. Once the pancetta and eggs are ready, all that remains is to assemble everything in a large bowl, add lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, toss gently and serve straight away.
Here are a few simple tips to make this low-carb salad even better:
- Use the best tuna in olive oil you can find. The quality makes a real difference in a simple keto salad like this.
- Lemon juice adds a small amount to the carb count, but it works beautifully with tuna and anchovies. It also gives the salad a fresher, brighter flavour than vinegar.
- Do not toss the salad until you are ready to serve it. If it sits too long after dressing, the leaves will become limp and soggy.
- To turn this into a very generous meal for one, simply eat the whole salad yourself and remember to adjust the nutrition values accordingly.
I plan to share many more keto salad recipes because they are such an important part of my low-carb kitchen. I am not sure why I have not posted more of them already, as I make salads often and have plenty of favourites. This one is definitely near the top of the list.
Fresh, salty, creamy, crunchy and filling, this LCHF Gennaro Niçoise Salad is ideal for lunch, dinner or a relaxed weekend meal. It is simple enough for everyday cooking but special enough to feel like a proper treat.
Enjoy!
- 3 eggs
- 100g mixed salad leaves
- A handful of rocket
- 1 avocado
- 70g cubed pancetta
- 3-4 anchovy fillets in olive oil
- A spoonful of capers
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 50g extra virgin olive oil
- Cook the pancetta until it is crisp enough for your taste, then set it aside and keep it warm.
- Squeeze the lemon juice, strain out any pips and set it aside.
- Tear the salad leaves and rocket, then place them in a large bowl with the sliced avocado, anchovy fillets and capers.
- Bring a small pan of water and the eggs to the boil. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the eggs are firm but still softly boiled. Shell them, then cut into quarters or smaller wedges.
- Combine all the ingredients, add plenty of extra virgin olive oil, toss gently and serve immediately.
Metric kitchen scales are inexpensive and useful for accurate ingredient measurements, especially when preparing keto recipes.