No one likes a boring salad, so why not mix it up a bit! I tend to love salads all year long, but summer time is perfect season to enjoy a delicious salad packed with vitamins and nutrients. I also am more active in the summer, so I tend to get hungry often. Salad can be a light snack, or with a little help, it can also be a filling meal.
Tuna Nicoise is a French salad served with potatoes, green beans, and olives, traditionally. Since my husband is from Alaska, we are a salmon family. I suggest that Pink or King salmon, but Atlantic will also do the job if the wild variety is not available.
They say you eat with your eyes first and this Salmon Nicoise Salad combines vibrant colors with a variety of textures and flavors to awaken all your senses. I find that a traditional tuna Nicoise salad can be bland and dry at times, but this salad has moist and flaky salmon roasted with caper oil…so bye bye bland!
For the bed of this salad, I like the combination of the bitter frisée with the mild spring mix. The lemon anchovy Dijon dressing I made is so delicious you will want to use it on salads, fish, chicken and even sandwiches.
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What are some of your favorite salad combos for summer?
- 8 baby Purple Potatoes
- 4 cups Frisee
- 4 cups Spring mix
- 2 5 oz Salmon Fillets
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Greek Olives - pitted
- 1/4 Ib Green Beans
- 1/4 cup Capers - drained and patted dry
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Lemon
- 1/2 small Shallot - finely chopped
- 4 Anchovy fillets
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- Mash anchovies, mustard, and sugar in a large bowl to form a coarse paste. Slice peel and white pith from lemon. Working over bowl, v-cut between membranes of lemon to release segments, leaving no membrane on each 'naked' slice of lemon. Squeeze remaining juice from leftover membranes into bowl and then discard. Whisk in shallot, then slowly whisk in ¼ cup oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
- For soft boiled eggs, add them to cold water and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a high boil, after 2 mins remove pot from the heat and cover with the top. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for about 6-8 minutes and then drain and put the eggs in a ice bath.
- While your eggs are boiling place potatoes in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1". Bring to a boil, season with a large pinch of salt, and cook until fork-tender, 15−20 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside.
- Return water to a boil and cook green beans in the same saucepan until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Add capers and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until capers burst and are crisp. Remove capers with a slotted spoon and lay on a paper towel to drain. Transfer remaining oil to a small bowl.
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Rub salmon all over with the reserved caper oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast until medium-rare (fish will be slightly translucent in the center), 10−12 minutes. Let cool.
- To assemble your salad, arrange frisée and mixed greens on a platter; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with half of dressing. Using a fork, break salmon into large flakes; discard skin. Halve potatoes and eggs crosswise. Top in separate piles with potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and salmon. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing and top with fried capers.
