My Niçoise Salad with Salmon is a delicious composed summer salad with crisp fresh veggies and light flaky salmon. Dressed with a traditional Niçoise Vinaigrette made with anchovies and Dijon mustard.
The Salade Niçoise originated in the French city of Nice in the 19th century, originally a simple salad of tomatoes and anchovies, over time the salad took on more and more personality and the list of ingredients in the Niçoise salad became more varied. Once the famed Chef Escoffier added potatoes and green beans to the simple Salade Niçoise recipe, all bets were off. And as we become more global, and amazing produce is available worldwide, I see no harm in upgrading this amazing classic recipe for whatever produce is the freshest in your area.
Salmon Niçoise Salad Ingredients
- Diced Tomatoes: Tomatoes are the actual star of the show in a Salade Niçoise. Please use the best quality and most flavorful tomatoes you can find
- 2 6-Ounce Salmon Filets, Sautéed: Traditionally canned or cooked tuna or anchovies were used in the Niçoise salad. I saute the salmon, however, any cooking method will work well, poached, smoked, or roasted are some of my favorites.
- 3 Hard-Cooked Eggs: Hard or soft-cooked eggs work well and add a delicious addition to the salad
- ½ Pound Boiled Potatoes, Baby Yukon or Red Potatoes
- 1 Handful Green Beans, Blanched
- 1 Avocado, sliced: An unusual ingredient in Niçoise salad, and definitely not traditional. But I love the flavor and the texture it adds to the salad.
- 1 Cup Sliced Cucumber
- 2 Cups Baby Spinach: Originally there were no leafy greens in the Salade Niçoise, it was mainly a tomato salad, greens are still optional in my opinion.
- Sliced Radishes, Sliced
- Green and Kalamata Olives
- Niçoise Vinaigrette: Traditionally dressed only with olive oil, I’ve created this lemon Dijon vinaigrette with anchovies for my version of the Niçoise salad.
How to Prepare a Niçoise Salad
-Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a simmer, cover and remove from heat, let sit for 11 minutes for soft, 12 minutes for hard-cooked, remove from hot water and place in a bowl of cold water until completely cool, refrigerate, peel once needed
-Scrub potatoes, place into a saucepan, boil for approximately 14-15 minutes until easily pierced with a knife, remove from hot water and let cool, refrigerate, slice when needed
-Place green beans in boiling water for 1 minute to blanch, remove and place in ice water to stop the cooking, refrigerate
-Prepare the Niçoise Dressing
-Place greens on the serving plate, arrange salad ingredients on top
-Sauté the salmon filets, remove skin and flake the cooked hot (or cold) salmon on top of the salad
-Dress the salad with the Niçoise vinaigrette
Here is my Niçoise Vinaigrette recipe
Niçoise Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon Juice only
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Shallots Finely Minced
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Anchovy Filets Or substitute 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Add either Anchovies or salt, but not both, I prefer Anchovies
- Combine all, whisk until emulsified
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