You know those salads that say they’re a meal, but then you finish it and you’re like, nah – I’m still hungry. Well, this isn’t that kinda salad.
Salmon Niçoise, definitively more meal than salad, where the greens are merely a supporting character rather than the starting point.
Simple, oven-roasted salmon (mild-flavored steelhead is my personal preference); luscious 7-minute jammy eggs; crisp, slender green beans; buttery yellow-fleshed nugget spuds; briny capers & olives; and finally a dressing so tangy-creamy-delicious you’ll easily find other excuses to use it (salmon burgers anyone???). Adding in-season tomatoes or cucumbers would certainly not be discouraged.
Blissfully simple to whip up, smartly using just one pot of boiling water to cook the eggs, potatoes, then green beans consecutively, and the dressing is blitzed up in a flash while waiting on the salmon and veg to cook. With all the major components make-ahead friendly, this one is perfectly suited for quick family meals, casual gatherings, or prepped as a few grab-and-go meals for the work week ahead.
Salmon Niçoise
The epitome of a meal salad. Satisfying, full of scrumptious ingredients and healthy fats, and all easily made-ahead. Topped with a creamy, tangy, lemon-Dijon-anchovy-shallot dressing you’ll want to use for all sorts of things.
- 1 lb skin-on salmon fillets
- olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- coarse kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 16-20 yellow-fleshed nugget potatoes
- 150-200 g slender green beans ((trimmed; about 1 large handful))
- 4 cups lettuce ((bib, romaine, frisée, or kale))
- ½ cup niçoise olives ((or kalamata in a pinch))
- ¼ cup capers ((drained))
- fresh dill ((optional))
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil ((extra virgin))
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 fat garlic clove ((minced))
- 1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon ((juiced))
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot ((minced))
- flaky sea salt ((for finishing))
Prepare the Salad Components: (can be done up to one day ahead)
Preheat oven to 425ºF and set a large pot with 2-3 litres of water to boil. You’ll want enough water in the pot to cover the eggs by 1″, and you’ll continue using the same pot of boiling water to cook the potatoes and green beans. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Once the oven is ready, bake for 12-15 minutes.
When the water is boiling, carefully lower the eggs into the pot and set a timer for 7 minutes. Have a large bowl with ice cold water standing by. Once the eggs are done, scoop them out of the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the water boiling. Transfer the eggs into the cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel and slice in half.
Add a generous pinch of salt to the boiling water (add more water if necessary) then carefully add the potatoes to the pot. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the spuds are just fork tender. Scoop out the potatoes with a slotted spoon and let cool enough to handle before slicing in half.
Add the green beans to the boiling water and set a timer for 30 seconds. Once you hear faint popping sounds from the beans (which may take a slightly more or less than 30 seconds, depending on the size of beans), drain into a colander and run under cold water to stop the beans from cooking. Pat dry with a clean tea towel.
Make the Dressing:
Meanwhile, put all of the ingredients except the shallots into a jar, if using an immersion blender, or into the container of a blender. Blend until creamy and taste for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, but with restraint, remembering you’ll be finishing the salad right before serving with flaky sea salt. Stir in the minced shallots and set aside.
Assembly:
Arrange your choice of lettuce on a platter for a spectacular presentation or on individual plates; top with potatoes, eggs, green beans, and salmon. Scatter with olives, capers, and fresh dill, if using. Serve with dressing then finish with flaky sea salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
My Family Food Life 