Salmon Niçoise Salad
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4-6
This popular whole meal salad full of protein—featuring salmon instead of the traditional tuna—is hearty and always delicious.
Ingredients
Salmon
1 pound fresh salmon fillets skin on
Pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning fish
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salad
3/4 pound small new potatoes (boiled in water with 1/2 tablespoon of salt)
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed (blanched in water with a pinch of salt)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered or sliced
1/2 red onion, julienned into thin strips
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1 pound of fresh greens of your choice (spinach, frisée, lettuce, or a mix of greens)
4 anchovy fillets (optional)
Dressing
2 cloves garlic, grated on microplane
1 tablespoon of seedy whole grain mustard
4 anchovy fillets
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the potatoes whole in a medium pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes for 13-15 minutes until just fork tender. Transfer the potatoes to a plate and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into quarters.
While potatoes are cooking, Place salmon on a parchment lined baking sheet pan, skin side down. Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub the flesh with with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Bake 7-10 minutes until the salmon reaches desired doneness. Set aside to cool. Remove the skin and chop the fish into large chunks.
In the same stockpot rinse it out. Bring 3 inches of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat, drain and shock the green beans in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
Add a couple more inches of water in the same pot and return it to a boil. Cook the eggs for 8 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bath of ice water and chill until cold, about 10 minutes. Peel and halve; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the grated garlic, anchovy fillets, sugar, and Dijon mustard until it becomes a thick paste. Thin out the paste by adding the lemon zest and juice, and then drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Season with salt, and pepper (careful with the salt, the anchovies are already salty, make sure to taste before seasoning).
On top of your greens, arrange the pieces of salmon, potatoes, green beans, eggs, red onion slices, Kalamata olives, anchovies fillets, and tomato wedges on a large platter. Pour the dressing over the arranged platter and serve family style.
Serving Suggestion
Use cold smoked salmon or a couple cans of tuna in place of the fresh salmon to speed the preparation time. Plan ahead and cook extra potatoes and green beans earlier in the week; then this salad comes together in a matter of minutes.