Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Nicoise Salad. A hefty keto salad that could well be a main meal.
Yes I know it has a rather strange name. That’s because it’s a take on the French Salade Niçoise, as well as a take on Gennaro’s salad, from the Jamie Oliver book 'jamie's italy'. I just wanted to pay homage to both because they inspired me to make this. 
A traditional Niçoise includes potatoes, green beans and olives. Way too many carbs for keto. Gennaro’s salad also contains potatoes, plus chillies, onions and oregano. Not a combination that appeals to me, especially the onion bit (yuk!). And still way too many carbs. My Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Nicoise Salad addresses the carbs issue and injects a dose of good fats. Job done.
Before my keto days I made a lot of the recipes from this Jamie Oliver book, minus alliums to which I am allergic.
Gennaro’s salad is one dish that appealed to me as soon as I read it. My favourite pre-keto meal was always a salad with an entire pack of breadsticks or a fresh half-baguette. Whenever munch monster was away at gigs, I would gorge on a huge salad with bread in front of the TV. Loved, loved, loved salads so much!!!! Especially with loads of carb-loaded veggies and more carbs on the side.
Thinking about it, I should have been born a goat. Since keto, though, my salads have become greener, more fat-filled and, of course, without any bread to accompany them. Which is actually fine, because they are always very satisfying.
Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Nicoise Salad is no exception. It is packed with green leaves, eggs, tuna, anchovies and capers, as in the classic Salad Niçoise, but has avocado and pancetta added. I think my version is more satiating and actually tastier! But I’ll let you be the judge of that!
Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Nicoise Salad: How to make it.
You need to cook some cubed pancetta, or bacon. You also need to boil some eggs so they’re between soft and hard boiled. This is the most difficult part of the dish, but the salad will taste just fine even if you under cook or over cook your eggs. All you have to do after that is assemble it and your Queenketo LCHF Gennaro Niçoise Salad is ready to be devoured.
Here are some tips for you:
- Buy the best tuna in olive oil you can find. It’s worth it.
- Although lemon juice adds a bit to the carb count, it goes very well with tuna and anchovies, plus it makes this salad taste better than with vinegar.
- Don’t toss your salad until you’re ready to serve it, or it will go limp and soggy. Still tasty, but not as enjoyable.
- Turn it into a MEAL for ONE: eat it all yourself !!!! (remember to adjust the carb count).
I shall be publishing many more salads for you to try. I don’t actually know why I haven’t posted more salad recipes. There are plenty in my repertoire and I love them. An unacceptable faux pas that I intend to remedy asap. This is one of my favourite salads.
Enjoy!
- Yield: 2
- Serving: 1
- Calories: 622
- Fat: 56g
- Net Carbs: 5g
- Protein: 20g
- 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 (U.S. option HERE)
- cook pancetta until crispy enough to your taste and set aside, or if using a halogen oven, leave inside to keep warm.
- squeeze lemon and strain to exclude any pips, then set aside.
- tear salad leaves and rocket and place in a large bowl, together with sliced avocado, anchovy fillets and capers.
- bring a small pan of water and eggs to the boil, cook for 7-8 mins until firm but soft-boiled, then shell and cut into quarters and half-quarters.
- combine all ingredients, add plenty of extra virgin olive oil, give it a good toss and serve immediately.
Metric kitchen scales are an inexpensive yet invaluable gadget to ensure accurate measurement of ingredients. Store them upright in a cupboard or over your worktop and they'll only take up a tiny bit of space. Click HERE for the ones I use. For U.S. option click HERE.
