Salmon Salad Nicoise is a great alternative to the standard tuna Nicoise salad especially when fresh, wild salmon is in season.
The making of Salmon Salad Nicoise
I love wild salmon and take full advantage of it when it's in season. This Salmon Salad Nicoise is a filling and refreshing take on the standard Salad Nicoise, usually made with tuna packed in oil. You can make this dish with freshly poached salmon steaks, or use any leftovers you might have. A perfect leftover to use would be from my Slow Baked Salmon Fillets recipe. The slow baking process creates wonderfully tender, tasty fillets.
Since all the ingredients need to be chilled, plan to make most of this in advance, even the night before; making it simple to put together quickly. Salmon Salad Nicoise is great for lunch or dinner.
How to Poach Salmon
Here, of course, I mean to slowly cook in water, not to steal from a river. The idea behind poaching is not to boil but to simmer gently in the water. And of course, the more flavorful the water, the more flavorful the poached item, in this case, salmon, will be.
To poach the salmon, bring to a simmer, 2 cups water, 1 cup white wine, 1 lemon sliced, 6 peppercorns, sprig of fresh herbs, such as thyme and/or tarragon), and a bay leaf. Simmer for 5 minutes; add fish, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes more. Remove the fish, cover, and refrigerate. You will now have a perfectly cooked piece of salmon.
The Dressing
The dressing I used for this salad is my Low-Fat Honey Mustard Dressing. This is a super easy recipe and the added tarragon is a perfect addition to the flavors of the salad. Of course, you can use a commercially made dressing, preferably honey mustard, but a Thousand Island dressing or even French dressing would work.
Salmon Salad Nicoise
Ingredients
- 4 5-ounce salmon fillets, poached and chilled* (or use left-over)
- 8 cups mixed salad greens best using a soft lettuce, such as butter lettuce
- 4 small tomatoes cut into quarters
- ½ pound green beans trimmed, steamed to desired crispness and cooled
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
- ½ cup Nicoise olives
- 8 small red potatoes boiled, cooled and cut into halves
- 4 hardboiled eggs cut into halves, optional
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Low-Fat Honey Mustard Dressing
Instructions
- Set out 4 large plates. On each place; 2 cups lettuce, 1 salmon fillet (skin removed); 4 tomato quarters, ¼ green beans, ¼ cucumber, ¼ olives, 4 potato halves, and 2 egg halves. Sprinkle with green onions and capers. Drizzle with dressing. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.