This salmon Niçoise salad with asparagus and pickled onions is a refreshing twist on a classic, packed with vibrant flavours and nutritious ingredients. I make it when I want a light yet satisfying meal!
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The salmon Niçoise salad combines crisp asparagus, tender sweet potatoes, creamy eggs, and flaky salmon, creating a perfect harmony of textures. The addition of pickled onions and hot-smoked salmon (or trout) brings a unique depth of flavour, making this dish not only refreshing but also nutritious, packed with vitamins, protein, and healthy fats.
This salmon salad is light yet satiating and I often make it for lunch or a summer dinner. It’s almost like a summer buddha bowl with vibrant colours and nutritious ingredients. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, and paleo-friendly.
👩🍳 If you like this recipe, check out my salmon lomi-lomi salad, rainbow salad bowl with salmon, grilled salmon and kale salad, or this sardines Nicoise salad.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this Salmon Niçoise salad recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Pickled Onions: Red onion, apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and honey (optional).
- Vegetables: Sweet potato, asparagus, and leafy greens (rocket, baby spinach, or watercress leaves)
- Protein: Eggs and hot-smoked salmon (find it next to smoked salmon) or fresh salmon fillets, grilled or air-fried. Smoked salmon or trout, or even canned salmon also work well here.
- Extra add-ins: Spanish/black olives, salt, and pepper. A drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice for the dressing.
How To Make Salmon Niçoise Salad
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos.
- Pickle the onions: Combine pickled onion ingredients and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Cook sweet potatoes and eggs: Boil sweet potatoes, adding eggs after water boils. Cook eggs for 7 minutes, then rinse under cold water. Continue cooking sweet potatoes for 2 more minutes.
- Cook asparagus: Add asparagus to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender. Cool both vegetables.
- Prepare salmon: Grill fresh salmon fillets if you’re adding them, then cool slightly. Otherwise, flake the hot smoked salmon or trout and remove any visible bones.
- Assemble salad: Arrange salad leaves in bowls and distribute asparagus, sweet potatoes, flaked salmon, pickled onions, olives, and halved eggs. Drizzle with onion dressing and add extra pepper if desired. If you wish, you can drizzle with extra lemon and olive oil over the top.
Recipe Tips
- Use Kalamata or green olives if you prefer.
- White potatoes can be used in place of sweet potatoes.
- Hot-smoked salmon is a great timesaver, but fresh grilled salmon works beautifully too.
- Swap the salmon for tuna or grilled chicken. Add cherry tomatoes or radishes for extra crunch.
- Make the pickled onions ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to a week.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing separate to maintain the salad’s freshness.
Serving Suggestions
I love this salmon Niçoise salad as is but you can serve it with a crusty baguette or some garlic bread on the side. It pairs beautifully with a chilled glass of white wine or iced tea.
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Ingredients
For the pickled onions
- 1 red onion medium, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey can be omitted
For the salad
- 1 sweet potato medium, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 bunch of asparagus about 10-12 spears
- 2 eggs large
- 3 cups arugula aka rocket, baby spinach, or watercress leaves
- 7-8 oz hot-smoked salmon 250 grams, or fresh salmon fillets
- 20 Spanish/black olives
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice to drizzle, optional
Instructions
- Combine the pickled onions in a small bowl and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Add sweet potatoes to a medium pot and fill with water, making sure there are a couple of inches of water above the potatoes. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the whole eggs (in shell) and set the timer for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove the eggs and rinse under cold water. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the sweet potatoes for 2 more minutes, then add the asparagus and cook for 1-2 minutes, until just slightly tender. Remove the asparagus and strain the sweet potatoes. Rinse under cold water and set aside to cool further.
- If using fresh salmon fillets, grill them in a little olive oil, skin side down, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flesh side with some salt and chili flakes. Flip the fillets and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Assemble the salad leaves in two bowls. Place half of the asparagus spears and half of the sweet potatoes on each side of the bowls. Flake the cooked or hot-smoked salmon and place it in the middle. Top with pickled onions, olives, and halved eggs. Drizzle the remaining onion dressing over the top. Grind a little more pepper and drizzle with lemon juice, if you like.
Notes
- Storage Tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing separate to maintain the salad’s freshness.
- You can grill a couple of fresh wild salmon fillets for this salad or, if you would like to save time and cleaning up, you can get hot-smoked salmon or smoked salmon at the grocery store. I like the hot-smoked salmon, which is a cooked version of the raw, smoked salmon. Find it next to smoked salmon.
- I am using the less salty Spanish olives but you can use green or Kalamata olives as well.
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