Our take on the classic French Nicoise salad – topped with crispy morsels of capers and olives, bringing not only that salty, savoury flavour but also pops of texture.
This Week
9 Dec - 15 Dec
Nicoise Salad with Smoked Salmon and a Crispy Olive and Caper Topping
- under 1 hour
- 4
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Meal Prep Guide
Make the Dijion vinaigrette (store in an airtight jar in the fridge)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp apple cider
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- ¼ cup parsley
- Salt and pepper
- Add all the ingredients into a glass jar and shake well.
Boil 500g baby potatoes (store in an airtight container in the fridge)
- Pop the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool before slicing in half.
Boil 2-4 eggs (store in an airtight container in the fridge)
- To cook the eggs, place them in the bottom of a saucepan, then fill the pan with cold water, 2 cm above the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, then remove from the heat and cover the pan with a lid; allow the eggs to cook for 6 minutes.
- Cool immediately, by running under cold water or placing into an ice bath. Store them with shells on and peel and cut into quarters before serving.
Boil/ steam 250g green beans (store in an airtight container in the fridge)
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 2-4 minutes or until crisp-tender and bright green Drain and immediately run under cold water to cool; drain and pat dry.
Tips
How to cook the perfect baby potatoes!
- Place your potatoes in cold water and then bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. This ensures even cooking, inside and out.
- Ensure all your potatoes are similar in size so they cook at the same rate. We recommend keeping the smaller ones whole and slicing the bigger ones in half or into quarters.
- Allow your potatoes to cool slightly before adding them to the salad. This allows excess water to evaporate and therefore won’t dilute the dressing or make the salad soggy.
Shortcuts
- Swap the crispy caper topping for regular olives and capers.
- Save on dishes and add the green beans to the potatoes during the last 2-4 minutes of cooking.
Shortcuts
Vegetables
- Add cherry tomatoes
- Add finely sliced radish.
Protein
- Swap smoked salmon for pan fried salmon, seared tuna or tinned tuna.
- For a vegetarian option, omit the salmon for 1 tin of drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
Ingredients
Salad
- 500g baby potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 250g green beans
- 1 head x petite cos (roughly torn)
- ½ cucumber (deseeded and sliced)
- ¼ cup dill (roughly chopped)
- 250g smoked salmon fillet
Crispy olives, capers and pine nut topping
- ½ cup pitted olives (sliced)
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- Olive oil
Dijon vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- ¼ cup parsley
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Start by boiling the potatoes. Pop the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool before slicing in half.
- Bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 2-4 minutes or until crisp-tender and bright green Drain and immediately run under cold water to cool; drain and pat dry.
- To cook the eggs, place them in the bottom of a saucepan, then fill the pan with cold water, 2 cm above the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, then remove from the heat and cover the pan with a lid; allow the eggs to cook for 6 minutes. Cool immediately, then peel and cut into quarters.
- Prepare the crispy capers, olives and pine nuts. Heat about a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add the capers and olives; cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the pine nuts and cook for another minute or until golden brown; remove from the heat and set aside.
- To make the dressing, add all the ingredients into a jar and shake well to combine.
- Time to assemble the salad. On a large plate or platter add the cos, potatoes, green beans, cucumber and dill; pour over ¾ of the dressing and toss well. Flake over the smoked salmon, nestle in the eggs, sprinkle over the crispy caper topping and lastly, pour over the remaining dressing.
Variations
Vegetables
- Add cherry tomatoes
- Add finely sliced radish.
Protein
- Swap smoked salmon for pan fried salmon, seared tuna or tinned tuna.
- For a vegetarian option, omit the salmon for 1 tin of drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
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