Nicoise is the composed salad that eats like a meal, and swapping its usual tuna for salmon makes it feel fresher and more generous - big, pale flakes of fish over peppery leaves, with green beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted potato chunks and a halved soft egg whose yolk is still bright orange, exactly as the plate in the photograph is arranged. Nothing is hidden under dressing; every element is cooked just until it is itself, then laid side by side.
That composed style is what makes nicoise so useful for a healthy plate: the protein is obvious, the vegetables keep their bite, and the dressing is a sharp lemon-Dijon vinaigrette spooned over at the end rather than a creamy coating. It belongs in our Healthy & Low-Carb collection with one honest note - the potatoes are a modest portion, there for the golden roasted edges in the picture, and the FAQ below explains the even lower-carb swap. Readers who enjoy this style also make our easy Cobb salad on rotation.
Cook the components in the order given and the whole plate comes together in about half an hour: potatoes into the oven, beans and eggs sharing a pot of boiling water, salmon in a hot pan while everything else cools. Serve it at room temperature, never fridge-cold - cold mutes both salmon and tomatoes - with the dressing passed separately for anyone who wants more.
The soft egg, timed to the minute
The egg in the photograph is the plate's finishing touch - a white that is fully set around a yolk that is jammy and deep orange, not runny and not grey-ringed. Six and a half minutes in gently boiling water, then straight into cold water, lands there reliably for large eggs. Peel under a thin stream of water once they are cool enough to handle, and halve them at the last moment so the yolk faces up on the plate, as pictured.
Flake the salmon in big pieces
Small flakes disappear into a salad; the generous chunks on this plate are the point. Cook the fillets whole - skin on helps them hold together - rest them for 5 minutes, then break them by hand along their natural seams into pieces roughly the size of the potato chunks. Warm or room-temperature salmon flakes cleanly; fridge-cold salmon crumbles. Season the flakes lightly after breaking them, so the salt reaches the newly exposed surfaces.
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon fillets, skin on (450 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for the salmon (15 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided (3 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (2 g)
- 8 oz baby potatoes, halved (225 g)
- 8 oz green beans, trimmed (225 g)
- 4 large eggs (200 g)
- 4 cups arugula and mixed leaves (120 g)
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (225 g)
- 1/2 cup mixed green and black olives (75 g)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for the dressing (45 ml)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (5 g)
- 1 small garlic clove, grated (3 g)
Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.
Step-by-step instructions
- Roast the potatoes. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the potato halves with a drizzle of the salmon's olive oil, a pinch of the salt and pepper, and roast cut-side down for 18 to 20 minutes until golden at the edges, like the chunks scattered through the photograph. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Boil the eggs and beans. Bring a medium pot of water to a gentle boil. Lower in the eggs and cook for 6 1/2 minutes, then lift them into cold water. In the same water, cook the green beans for 3 minutes until bright green and just tender; drain and refresh under cold water so they keep their colour.
- Cook the salmon. Pat the salmon dry, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and sear skin-side down in the olive oil in a hot skillet for 5 minutes without moving it. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until just opaque in the centre. Rest for 5 minutes, then flake by hand into large chunks, discarding the skin.
- Whisk the dressing. Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, grated garlic and a pinch of salt until emulsified and glossy. It should taste sharp - the rich salmon and egg yolk will soften it on the plate. Set aside; whisk again just before serving.
- Compose the plates. Divide the arugula between four plates or one large platter. Arrange the salmon flakes, green beans, tomatoes, olives and roasted potatoes in loose groups over the leaves, in the composed style of the photograph, rather than tossing everything together.
- Finish with egg and dressing. Peel and halve the soft eggs and place one half, yolk up, on each plate. Spoon the dressing over everything, finish with a final pinch of flaky salt and black pepper, and serve at room temperature with lemon wedges if you like.
Nutrition estimate
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 386 kcal |
| Protein | 29 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated fat | 4 g |
| Sodium | 520 mg |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.
Storage & reheating
Nicoise is best assembled and eaten the same day. The components keep separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days - salmon, potatoes, beans and unpeeled eggs in their own containers - and should be brought back to room temperature for 20 minutes before plating. Dress only what you will eat; dressed leaves wilt within the hour. Nutrition values are estimates and will vary with fillet size and how much dressing is used.
Easy Salmon Nicoise Salad with Soft Egg
Flaked salmon, green beans, olives and a soft egg over peppery arugula - fresh and filling.
Ingredients
Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.
Instructions
- Roast the potatoes. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the potato halves with a drizzle of the salmon's olive oil, a pinch of the salt and pepper, and roast cut-side down for 18 to 20 minutes until golden at the edges, like the chunks scattered through the photograph. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Boil the eggs and beans. Bring a medium pot of water to a gentle boil. Lower in the eggs and cook for 6 1/2 minutes, then lift them into cold water. In the same water, cook the green beans for 3 minutes until bright green and just tender; drain and refresh under cold water so they keep their colour.
- Cook the salmon. Pat the salmon dry, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and sear skin-side down in the olive oil in a hot skillet for 5 minutes without moving it. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until just opaque in the centre. Rest for 5 minutes, then flake by hand into large chunks, discarding the skin.
- Whisk the dressing. Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, grated garlic and a pinch of salt until emulsified and glossy. It should taste sharp - the rich salmon and egg yolk will soften it on the plate. Set aside; whisk again just before serving.
- Compose the plates. Divide the arugula between four plates or one large platter. Arrange the salmon flakes, green beans, tomatoes, olives and roasted potatoes in loose groups over the leaves, in the composed style of the photograph, rather than tossing everything together.
- Finish with egg and dressing. Peel and halve the soft eggs and place one half, yolk up, on each plate. Spoon the dressing over everything, finish with a final pinch of flaky salt and black pepper, and serve at room temperature with lemon wedges if you like.
Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.
