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This Salmon Nicoise Salad elevates the French classic with pan-seared salmon for a rich, elegant meal. It combines crisp greens, tender potatoes, briny olives, and soft-boiled eggs in a vibrant, satisfying dish. Perfect for a fancy yet fuss-free lunch or dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Salmon Nicoise Salad

Complete meal: Protein, healthy fats, carbs, and veggies in one beautiful bowl.
Texture party: Crisp beans, creamy egg, firm potatoes, and seared salmon in every bite.
Flexible template: Easily swap ingredients based on what’s fresh or available.
Indulgent yet wholesome: Rich salmon and tangy vinaigrette taste decadent but pack nutrients.

Ingredients & Tools

2 (150-180 g each) salmon fillets, skin-on
300 g baby new potatoes, halved
100 g green beans, trimmed
2 large eggs
1 small head of butter lettuce, leaves separated
1 large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
50 g Nicoise or Kalamata olives, pitted
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh dill or chives for garnish (optional)

Tools: A large pot for boiling, a medium skillet, a small bowl for the vinaigrette, and a large serving platter.

Notes: Don’t stress about finding exact “Nicoise” olives—a good Kalamata will bring that same briny punch. And for the salmon, skin-on is key here; it gets wonderfully crispy and adds fantastic textural contrast to the soft salad components.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories:	585 kcal
Protein:	35 g
Fat:	38 g
Carbs:	25 g
Fiber:	6 g

Serves: 2 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

Get your salmon right. For the best sear, make sure your salmon fillets are patted completely dry with a paper towel before they hit the pan. Any surface moisture will steam the skin instead of crisping it up.
Don’t overcook those eggs! A runny, jammy yolk is part of the dressing magic for this salad. We’re aiming for a 7-minute boil for a set white and a gorgeous, molten center.
Waxy potatoes are your friend. Varieties like baby new potatoes, fingerlings, or Charlotte hold their shape beautifully after boiling and have a creamy texture that soaks up the vinaigrette perfectly.
Make your vinaigrette with gusto. This isn’t the time for a timid hand with the mustard and lemon. A bold, tangy dressing is needed to cut through the richness of the salmon and tie all the earthy, briny elements together.
Composition is key. This is a composed salad, not a tossed one. Arranging the elements thoughtfully on a platter makes for a stunning presentation and ensures you get a bit of everything in each serving.

How to Make Salmon Nicoise Salad

Step 1: Cook the Potatoes and Eggs. Place your halved baby potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, set your timer for 12 minutes. After about 5 minutes, carefully add the eggs to the same pot—this saves on washing up! When the timer goes off, the potatoes should be tender when pierced with a fork. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and plunge them immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Leave the potatoes in the pot for now.

Step 2: Blanch the Green Beans. With the potato water still at a rolling boil, add your trimmed green beans. Let them cook for just 2-3 minutes—you want them bright green and crisp-tender, not mushy. Quickly drain the beans and potatoes together in a colander, then spread them out on a baking tray. Drizzle with a tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt while they’re still warm; this helps them absorb the flavor. Let everything cool slightly.

Step 3: Make the Zingy Vinaigrette. In your small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Whisk it together—it’ll look a little pasty, but that’s perfect. Now, slowly stream in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil while whisking constantly. You’ll see the mixture emulsify and become glossy and slightly thickened. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Give it a taste and adjust—maybe a touch more lemon? Set this golden elixir aside.

Step 4: The Main Event – Sear the Salmon. Time for the star. Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. No need to add oil yet. Pat those salmon fillets dry, season the flesh side with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, place the salmon skin-side down. You should hear a confident sizzle. Press down gently for a few seconds to ensure full contact. Cook for 4-6 minutes without moving it, until the skin is super crispy and you can see the flesh cooking up the sides. Flip and cook for just 1-2 minutes on the flesh side for a medium center.

Step 5: Assemble Your Masterpiece. Arrange the butter lettuce leaves on a large platter as your base. Artfully scatter the cooled potatoes and green beans over the top. Now for the fun part: place the halved cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, olives, and capers around the platter. Peel your soft-boiled eggs—the yolk should be jammy—and halve them, placing them cut-side up. Finally, gently flake the warm salmon fillets into large chunks and place them prominently on the salad.

Step 6: Dress and Serve. Just before serving, drizzle about three-quarters of that gorgeous vinaigrette all over the salad. You want to coat everything lightly but thoroughly. Garnish with fresh dill or chives if you’re using them. Serve immediately, with the extra vinaigrette on the side for those who want an extra punch. The combination of the warm salmon and potatoes with the cool, crisp lettuce is simply divine.

Storage & Freshness Guide

Fridge: Store components separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days; assemble just before serving.
Freezer: Not recommended; salad greens and cooked potatoes/eggs do not freeze well.
Reviving: Bring chilled components to room temperature before assembling; reheat salmon gently in a skillet if desired.

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

A crusty baguette — Essential for mopping up every last drop of the lemony vinaigrette and any escaped egg yolk from the plate. It adds a wonderful chewy texture.
Simple herbed rice pilaf — If you’re serving a crowd and want to make the meal a bit more substantial, a light, fluffy rice pilaf with parsley and lemon zest is a perfect, neutral base.
Chilled asparagus soup — Start the meal with a light, creamy (but cream-less!) soup for a truly elegant, multi-course French-inspired experience.

Drinks

A crisp Sauvignon Blanc — The high acidity and notes of citrus and grass in this wine are a flawless match for the oily salmon and the sharp, tangy dressing.
Sparkling water with lemon — For a non-alcoholic option, the effervescence cleanses the palate beautifully between bites of the rich fish and briny olives.
A classic French Kir — A little crème de casssee topped with dry white wine feels festive and its berry notes provide a lovely, slight sweetness against the salty components.

Something Sweet

Lemon tart — The bright, sharp citrus curd is a classic and refreshing way to end the meal, continuing the lemon theme from the salad in a delightful, sweet form.
Dark chocolate-covered almonds — A simple, elegant treat. The bitterness of the dark chocolate and the nuttiness of the almond are a sophisticated finish.
Fresh berry pavlova — For a showstopper, the light, crisp meringue, billowy cream, and tart berries feel light and celebratory after a savory salad.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake: Overcooking the salmon. Salmon continues to cook after you take it off the heat (carry-over cooking). If you wait until it’s perfectly flaky in the pan, it’ll be dry by the time it hits the salad. Pull it off when it’s still a touch translucent in the very center.
Mistake: Dressing the salad too early. If you pour the vinaigrette over everything and then let it sit, the lettuce will wilt, the potatoes will soak it all up, and you’ll lose all that wonderful textural contrast. Dress it right before you serve.
Mistake: Skipping the ice bath for the eggs. This step is non-negotiable! Plunging the boiled eggs into ice water immediately stops the cooking process, prevents that grey-green ring around the yolk, and makes them infinitely easier to peel.
Mistake: Underseasoning the components. Season each element as you go—the potato water, the salmon, the vinaigrette. Layering your seasoning is the secret to a salad that tastes complex and delicious from the first bite to the last.

Expert Tips

Tip: Use the potato water twice. Boiling the eggs in the same pot as the potatoes is a classic chef move to save time and water. The starch from the potatoes doesn’t affect the eggs and you get perfectly cooked components with one pot.
Tip: Let the salmon rest. After searing, let the salmon sit on a cutting board for 2-3 minutes before flaking it over the salad. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the fillet, ensuring every single bite is moist and flavorful.
Tip: Warm your serving platter. For a truly next-level experience, pop your empty serving platter in a warm oven (then turn it off) for a few minutes before assembling. A slightly warm platter will keep the salad at the perfect temperature longer without wilting the greens.
Tip: Make extra vinaigrette. This dressing is so good you’ll want to put it on everything. Double or triple the recipe and keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. It’s fantastic on simple green salads, grain bowls, or even as a marinade for chicken.

FAQs

Can I use canned salmon instead?
You absolutely can, though the experience will be different. For a quick, pantry-friendly version, drain a good-quality, wild-caught canned salmon and flake it over the salad. You’ll miss the crispy skin and the warm, buttery texture of the fresh fillet, but you’ll still get all the fantastic flavor and omega-3 benefits. It’s a great shortcut for a busy weeknight!

How can I make this salad ahead of time?
Meal prep is your friend here! You can cook the potatoes, green beans, and eggs up to two days in advance. Keep them stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge. The vinaigrette can be made a week ahead. Assemble everything just before serving to keep the lettuce crisp and the salmon skin from getting soggy. It’s all about the component prep.

What’s the best substitute for Nicoise olives?
Don’t fret if you can’t find them. Kalamata olives are the closest in terms of flavor and texture—they’re both briny and fleshy. Alternatively, a mix of green Castelvetrano olives (for their buttery mildness) and a few capers (for a briny punch) can create a really interesting and delicious flavor profile.

My salmon skin didn’t get crispy. What happened?
The two most common culprits are moisture and impatience. First, make sure you pat the skin bone-dry with paper towels. Second, ensure your pan is properly hot before adding the fish—you should hear that sizzle immediately. And finally, don’t move it! Let it cook undisturbed to form that perfect, crackling-crisp crust.

Is it okay to serve this salad warm?
It’s more than okay—it’s encouraged! The magic of a Salmon Nicoise is in the contrast of temperatures and textures. The warm, flaky salmon and slightly warm potatoes against the cool, crisp lettuce and tomatoes is what makes this dish so special and satisfying. It’s a warm salad, not a cold one.

Salmon Nicoise Salad

Cost Level $$

Category Salmon Recipes

Difficulty Medium

Cuisine French, mediterranean

Servings 2

Total Time 45 minutes

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Make this stunning Salmon Nicoise Salad with crispy skin-on salmon, tender potatoes, and a zesty vinaigrette. A complete, elegant meal in under 45 minutes. Get the recipe!

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 fillets salmon fillets (skin-on (150-180 g each))
300 g baby new potatoes (halved)
100 g green beans (trimmed)
2 large eggs
1 small head butter lettuce (leaves separated)
1 large handful cherry tomatoes (halved)
50 g Nicoise or Kalamata olives (pitted)
1 small red onion (thinly sliced)
1 tbsp capers (rinsed)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic (minced)
to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper
for garnish Fresh dill or chives (optional)

Instructions

01
Place your halved baby potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, set your timer for 12 minutes. After about 5 minutes, carefully add the eggs to the same pot—this saves on washing up! When the timer goes off, the potatoes should be tender when pierced with a fork. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and plunge them immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Leave the potatoes in the pot for now.
02
With the potato water still at a rolling boil, add your trimmed green beans. Let them cook for just 2-3 minutes—you want them bright green and crisp-tender, not mushy. Quickly drain the beans and potatoes together in a colander, then spread them out on a baking tray. Drizzle with a tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt while they’re still warm; this helps them absorb the flavor. Let everything cool slightly.
03
In your small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Whisk it together—it’ll look a little pasty, but that’s perfect. Now, slowly stream in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil while whisking constantly. You’ll see the mixture emulsify and become glossy and slightly thickened. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Give it a taste and adjust—maybe a touch more lemon? Set this golden elixir aside.
04
Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. No need to add oil yet. Pat those salmon fillets dry, season the flesh side with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, place the salmon skin-side down. You should hear a confident sizzle. Press down gently for a few seconds to ensure full contact. Cook for 4-6 minutes without moving it, until the skin is super crispy and you can see the flesh cooking up the sides. Flip and cook for just 1-2 minutes on the flesh side for a medium center.
05
Arrange the butter lettuce leaves on a large platter as your base. Artfully scatter the cooled potatoes and green beans over the top. Now for the fun part: place the halved cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, olives, and capers around the platter. Peel your soft-boiled eggs—the yolk should be jammy—and halve them, placing them cut-side up. Finally, gently flake the warm salmon fillets into large chunks and place them prominently on the salad.
06
Just before serving, drizzle about three-quarters of that gorgeous vinaigrette all over the salad. You want to coat everything lightly but thoroughly. Garnish with fresh dill or chives if you’re using them. Serve immediately, with the extra vinaigrette on the side for those who want an extra punch. The combination of the warm salmon and potatoes with the cool, crisp lettuce is simply divine.