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This Salmon Salad Niçoise is a scrumptious twist on the French classic, replacing the tuna with grilled salmon. The Omega-3 fatty acids in the seafood make it a heart-healthy dish that doesn’t taste like health food!

Salmon Salad Nicoise on a white serving plate

Salmon Salad Niçoise

Typically made with canned tuna, I  actually prefer my version with rare ahi tuna or grilled salmon. Niçoise translates to “prepared in Nice,” so you’d find this dish on the menu across the French Riviera.

The integral components of any “Niçoise” dish are tomatoes, black olives, garlic and anchovies. Hard boiled eggs, potatoes, green beans are typical additions to this salad.

Since I took liberties with my seafood, I also tweaked the ingredients, adding hearts of palm, red bell pepper and swapped out the Niçoise olives for Kalamata. Instead of adding anchovies to the salad, I utilized anchovy paste in the dressing as it offered that umami that most wouldn’t realize had a seafood origin.

The results were extraordinary! Who wouldn’t want to dive into this vibrant salad???

Overhead view of Salmon Salad Niçoise on a white plate

More Heart-Healthy Recipes

As I mentioned, salmon is full of good fats as are olives and olive oils. These good fats help boost your HDL (high-density lipoproteins) or good cholesterol. Plenty of colorful vegetables provide vital vitamins and minerals, and both the eggs and salmon provide quality protein. 

Salmon Salad Nicoise on a white serving plate
The Recipe:

Salmon Salad Niçoise

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Yield 2

A twist on the Classic Salad Nicoise using salmon instead of tuna.

Ingredients

  • 2 six-ounce salmon filets
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Seasoning salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups of arugula or other greens
  • ½ red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup thin green beans, blanched (haricots vert)
  • ¼ cup black olives
  • 4 new potatoes, cooked and cooled, cut in half
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half
  • 2 spears hearts of palm, sliced

Dressing (you may want to double if you like more dressing on your salad)

  • ⅛ cup champagne vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Brush salmon with olive oil and season well with seasoning salt and pepper.
  2. Grill or broil, for 10-15 minutes or till done to your taste. Let come to room temperature or chill.
  3. To prepare salad, place a bed of greens on a serving platter. Arrange all the rest of the salad ingredients in sections around the perimeter of the plate, leaving the center open for the salmon.
  4. You may cover and chill at this point.
  5. Make the dressing by whisking together vinegar, mustard, anchovy paste, and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until the dressing emulsifies.
  6. Before serving, add the salmon to the center of the serving dish anddrizzle salad with dressing.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1161Total Fat: 67gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 49gCholesterol: 481mgSodium: 846mgCarbohydrates: 80gFiber: 15gSugar: 11gProtein: 64g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American, French-American / Category: Salads