Nicoise Salad (Scandinavian Style)

Here’s a fun Scandinavian twist on the classic Nicoise salad! This Nicoise Salad recipe is made with smoked fish (such as salmon or trout) on a bed of peppery greens, with capers, pickled onions, radishes, fresh dill, cucumber ribbons, baby potatoes, snap peas, and a punchy horseradish-spiked dressing. Fresh and tasty!

I was inspired to make this recipe for my friend, Tonya, who gave me fresh eggs the other day and who also happens to be on a “salad diet”. This is the diet that follows two weeks in Italy, where we ate an absurd amount of pasta and gelato, together with our friend Jill. Heavenly.

Spring is such a good time of year for salad lovers- it offers up the best tender young greens. This Nicoise Salad is made with smoked salmon (or smoked trout or lox) with peppery, delicious watercress as the base. Topped with spring radishes, new potatoes, snap peas, shaved fennel, cucumber ribbons, and plenty of dill, it’s fresh, alive, and very springy!  Instead of olives, I’ve used capers and pickled onions and added horseradish to the Nicoise Dressing, kicking it up a notch.

Hearty, delicious, and light, this salad is dinner-worthy and comes together easily, making it perfect for company. The great thing is that the fish is already cooked here, so this will save time. I love using smoked fish in this salad, but salmon lox and even pickled herring taste great too. Other canned fish works too, if you’re in a pinch – of course, tuna – but you could also try something different, like smoked sardines.

It’s also very pretty. Sprinkle the salad with edible flowers, like chive blossoms or nasturtiums, and let your creative spirit soar. I kid you not….taking the time to make your food “pretty” is a gift you give to yourself. This simple act brings a lot of joy to the kitchen and the cooking process.

How to make Nicoise salad

Make the dressing. The dressing is light as well, made with olive oil, champagne vinegar (or lemon),  whole grain mustard, shallot, dill and horseradish. It’s flavorful and complements the watercress and smokiness of the fish.

Prep the veggies. To start, steam the baby potatoes and add the snap peas to the same pot for the last few minutes. Drain and cool. Prep and cut the veggies.

Boil the eggs. Eggs can be hard-boiled or soft-boiled.

Assemble and dress. Load the salad up with greens and veggies, leaving some raw and crunchy. To make the cucumber ribbons, simply shave with a veggie peeler. Add the smoked salmon or trout.

Variations

If vegetarian, substitute fish with hearty cannellini beans or baked or smoked tofu.

Sprinkle with dill and chive blossoms….or use nasturtiums!

Serve with toasted rye bread, or rye crisp… and enjoy your beautiful, healthy Scandinavian creation!

More Salads You’ll Love

Nicoise Salad with Grilled Fish!

Grilled Salmon Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Grilled Salmon Salad with Avocado Cucumber Salsa

Smoked Salmon, Avocado & Fennel Salad

Smoked Salmon Omelette

Salmon Wellington

How to Make Lox (Salmon Lox Recipe)

Nordic Nicoise Salad

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• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 2
• Category: Salad
• Method: Tossed
• Cuisine: Scandinavian
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

A Scandinavian twist on the classic Nicoise salad made with smoked fish (salmon or trout) with fresh spring veggies and horseradish-spiked Nicoise dressing.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 8 baby potatoes
• 1– 2 eggs (optional), boiled to your liking
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1 cup Turkish cucumbers (or use English, sliced)
• 1/2 small fennel bulb, shaved (optional)
• 4 radishes, sliced
• 1 bunch of watercress or sub arugula (or use a mix)
• 6–8 ounces smoked trout or smoked salmon (or sub cannellini beans or baked or smoked tofu for a vegetarian option)
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• Other optional additions: pickled red onions, fresh sprouts, chive blossoms, nasturtium petals, sliced avocado, blanched green beans or other veggies, a dollop of plain yogurt, toasted rye croutons, or rye crisp, crumbled.

Nordic Nicoise Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil or grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1–2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)
• pinch sugar

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Instructions

1. Place the baby potatoes in a pot of water and boil, then simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Add the snap peas in the same water during the last minute to quickly blanch. Drain. Rinse under cold water.
2. At the same time boil the eggs, either soft or hard – your preference. Peel and halve.
3. Stir the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with a fork, tasting and adjusting.
4. Prep the veggies. Using a veggie peeler, shave the cucumber into ribbons (or just slice into rounds) Slice the radishes, shave the fennel.
5. Assemble the salads. Lay a bed of watercress on the bottom of two bowls. Top with cucumbers, radish, fennel, smoked fish, eggs, pickled onions, capers and fresh dill. Scatter blossoms around the top. Feel the joy 😉
6. Dress the salad right before serving.
7. Add a dollop of yogurt for extra richness if you like…. and serve with rye crisp.

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Notes

You may not need all the dressing. Dress as needed.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: using smoked salmon
• Calories: 771
• Sugar: 6.3 g
• Sodium: 578.7 mg
• Fat: 35.4 g
• Saturated Fat: 6.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 53.3 g
• Fiber: 9.7 g
• Protein: 64.2 g
• Cholesterol: 273.2 mg