Are you one of the ladies who lunch? I love getting together with friends and having a fresh and healthy lunch, laughing and then finishing the day. It’s a great way to break up the monotony of the every day grind. My Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad is super light and yummy, perfect for a quick lunch with your favorite people.
Don’t get me wrong…. You can definitely serve this for dinner or in a buffet. It’s really an “anytime” salad. But when I made it recently, it was for a fun summer lunch with friends. It looks like there are a lot of ingredients in this salad, but I promise, it is mostly assembly and not much cooking at all.
Here is what you need for the Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad:
2 C. arugula
1 pkg smoked salmon
5 red potatoes, quartered and roasted
½ C Kalamata olives, sliced
1 cup Green beans, blanched
1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
1 shallot, diced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
¼ C. olive oil
Here’s where to start. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut your potatoes and toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes. And blanch your green beans. Blanching is when you place them in some boiling water for just a minute, then plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking. We want the green beans to be bright in color and still crunchy.
While the potatoes are in the oven, I would start assembling your salad. First of all, find a lovely tray. This salad is full of color and you can arrange it in a rainbow, so displaying it on a tray is the best way to go. Place the arugula in a single layer over the whole tray. Then begin layering the other ingredients over it. First the salmon, then a row of the olives, a row of grape tomatoes and the green beans.
The dressing is where the shallot, mustard, vinegar and olive oil come in. Whisk together the diced shallot, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and the olive oil. Set it aside.
By now it is time to take the potatoes out of the oven. Allow them to cool for a bit while you finish up any assembling you need to do. Then make them the last layer on the tray.
Drizzle the dressing over the entire salad and serve immediately. Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad is so colorful and light. It’s a wonderful lunch that won’t have you feeling heavy for the rest of the day. Actually, you’ll probably feel quite good about yourself!
