I have never been a fan of the idea of a salad as a complete meal, as they often manage to be both bland and overdressed at the same time. However, the niçoise salad is not the salad bar variety that you dutifully eat in lieu of the side of fries you’d rather be having with your burger. In fact it is a proper delicious meal in itself that can be dressed up or down depending on if you’d like it for a filling breakfast, relaxed lunch, or a light supper.
There are many variations of the niçoise salad, and depending on who you ask, there are strong opinions of what is allowed and what should never be in one. The recipe that I would like to share is a compromise between the traditionalist approach and modern iterations, and is easy enough to prepare with ingredients we often have on hand. This version is high in protein and fats due to the smoked salmon and eggs, but if you’d like to bring down the fat content, substitute tuna or shrimp for the salmon and reduce down to 1 egg.
The macronutrient and calorie breakdown is for the specific choices I’ve included, but of course you are free to substitute with what you have on hand. For example, as mentioned the smoked salmon can be replaced with more traditional tuna (canned or grilled) or anchovies. Or you can go nuts and just put in shrimp, lobster, or chicken!
I also prefer to use a mix of spring greens that combine both sharp peppery flavours with milder lettuces to give the salad bite and interest. Other ingredients that can be added include green beans, red onion, and boiled potatoes. For my dressing, I have kept it simple with lemon juice and good quality olive oil to let the fresh ingredients shine through. Freshly ground pepper will make a difference and if possible, use finishing sea salt to give it extra brightness. Here I used some of my own Atlantic fleur de sel that we harvested last summer!
Macronutrients
Serves 1
- 332 Calories
- 29g Protein
- 8g Carbohydrates
- 20g Fat
Ingredients
- 60g Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon
- 40g Mixed Spring Greens
- 5 Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 Large Eggs Boiled
- 2 Olives Diced
- 1 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice of 1/4 Lemon
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Pinch of Sea Salt
Method
Wash and gently dry the spring greens and arrange them on a serving plate or bowl. Thinly slice the smoked salmon and place on greens. Half the boiled eggs and add to salad plate. Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes and diced olives. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over salad and add salt and pepper to taste.
Mimosa Days 