I think we can all relate to the feeling of wanting to eat something healthy, so you opt for “just” a salad”. Well, let me tell you that this one is anything but “just” a salad. This Copycat Nordstrom Café Wild Salmon Niçoise Salad is packed with so much flavor and all the health benefits. Pronounced nee-swahz, btw. It’s paleo, gluten-free and dairy-free, and will have you feeling like an executive chef after you make. Loaded with protein and a rainbow of colors, flavors and textures, this salad is refreshing, filling and pretty perfect, if you ask me. And I have to mention there’s a good story behind how this one ended up on my blog. If you’ve never tried this Wild Salmon Niçoise Salad, it’s bound to be one you just have to make on repeat. Let’s get into it!

A SALAD WITH A STORY

Ok, I’ll start with the story of how this salad ended up here in the first place. A while back, I had a major obsession with the Wild Salmon Niçoise Salad from the Nordstrom Café menu. It was literally the only item I would order on the menu. One day, I was raving about it to the chef and he was kind enough to share the entire recipe with me; he even printed it out! I think it’s safe to say that’s one of the best customer service experiences of my life so far. Who knew a salad from a notorious department store restaurant could not only look, but taste so enjoyable? I obviously did, so I felt it was only right to share with you all too.

I have to admit, at first, I was a little intimidated at the idea of making this myself at home. The flavors, textures and presentation were so perfect, I wasn’t sure I could recreate such a masterpiece. Luckily (for all of us), I didn’t let that fear stop me. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to put together, and have since mastered it. Aside from being so delish and easy to make, I’ll forever be obsessed with how nutritionally beneficial this Wild Salmon Niçoise Salad is.

VERSATILE, NOURISHING AND NUTRIENT-PACKED

Wild salmon is one of my favorite protein options, especially for a salad. High in selenium, it’s also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, a heart-healthy fat which helps to support brain health and can decrease inflammation. Not to mention how versatile salmon is, making it easy to pair with other flavors and textures, like the nourishing herb crust the salmon is covered with. The hard-boiled eggs, a nutrient dense, complete protein only further boost the health benefits of the salad, along with the vitamin-packed mixed greens and sweet cherry tomatoes.

PSA: don’t skimp on the green beans! They may sound boring, which I totally understand, but as with the crispy red potatoes, they’re a great source of fiber and potassium. And because they’re mild in taste, the green beans really take on the flavor from the rest of the salad ingredients. The salty kalamata olives and tiny but mighty capers, which are full of the master antioxidant, glutathione, really round out the texture and flavor profile of this fancy-ish, fresh-tasting salad.

A FOREVER-FAVORITE NIÇOISE SALAD

This Copycat Nordstrom Café Wild Salmon Niçoise Salad will forever be one of my favorites, and I’m sure will find it’s way into your salad rotation too as soon as you try it. It’s salty, crunchy, hearty, and like a lot of my other salad recipes on my site, makes for a great lunch or dinner. I’d love to hear what you think below! 

A note on the dressing: the original recipe calls for a Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, which I’ve included below. But because you know I love to put my RGE spin on things, I prefer to instead dress this salad with a simple olive oil drizzle and squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

Salad

• Wild salmon fillets
• Red potatoes
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Cherry tomatoes
• Kalamata olives
• Fresh green beans
• Mixed greens
• Fresh capers
• Fresh lemon

Herb Crust for Salmon

• Fresh basil
• Fresh oregano
• Fresh Italian parsley
• Green onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pink salt
• Ground pepper

Optional Dressing: Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Balsamic vinaigrette
• Dijon mustard
• Red onion
• Brown sugar (I would sub for coconut sugar)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Ground pepper
• Fresh basil

HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT NORDSTROM CAFÉ WILD SALMON NIÇOISE SALAD

Potatoes and Green Beans 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Add quartered potatoes & spray (or toss) lightly with olive or avocado oil and pink salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing 10 minutes before done. Once cooked, set aside. 

While the potatoes are in the oven, steam green beans and cut into 2-inch pieces. Set aside. Skip to the Herb-Crusted Salmon section if you are using the olive oil and fresh lemon juice as your dressing. 

Optional Dressing: Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Combine balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, diced red onion, and brown sugar (or coconut sugar) into blender. Pulse until well combined, about 1 minute. With the blender running, slowly add extra virgin olive oil in a thin, steady stream, forming a vortex swirling effect until all the oil is absorbed, approximately 2 minutes. The dressing should have a medium brown color, and a smooth and somewhat creamy consistency. Season with sea salt + ground pepper, fold in fresh basil and pulse 3 times with blender, about 10 seconds each time in order to fully incorporate. Store up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Herb-crusted Salmon

Once the potatoes are removed from the oven and cooling, heat oven to 500 degrees F. To prepare crust for salmon, make sure all fresh herbs are finely chopped, then mix together in a bowl until well-combined. Lay salmon, presentation side up, over parchment paper on baking sheet. Top with herb mix over fillet and bake for 5-7 minutes, depending on how thick the salmon is. Remove the salmon from the oven once fully cooked. 

Salad 

Except for the salmon and capers, layer salad ingredients on plate (or toss in large bowl). If using the Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette as your dressing, be sure to drizzle in and toss with salad ingredients at this time. 

Add salmon and capers on top. If not dressed with the Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette, drizzle salad with olive oil and garnish with lemon. Once served, squeeze fresh lemon over top. Enjoy!

RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & QUESTIONS 

Sub the salmon for your protein of choice if you’d like; tuna or chicken would work well. Alternatively, rather than baking your salmon and potatoes, option to grill either or both ingredients for more of a smokey flavor. Instead of red potatoes, you could also try baby Yukon Gold or new potatoes. If there are any ingredients you don’t love, like the olives or cherry tomatoes, for example, feel free to omit or use your preferred substitute ingredient instead. As mentioned above, option to use a simple olive oil and fresh lemon juice dressing, or make and use the signature Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette.

SHOP THIS RECIPE:

WHY IS IT CALLED NIÇOISE SALAD?

If you’re not familiar with or are new to Niçoise (pronounced nee-swahz), it was born on the Riviera in Southern France, named after the French city of Nice. A Niçoise salad is basically the gold standard for salads that are packed with fresh flavor and multiple textures, like the salty, crunchy, hearty salad this recipe makes. An especially great summer salad, this one never fails to leave you feeling fueled and perfectly full at any time of year. 

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WILD SALMON AND FARM-RAISED SALMON?

Wild-caught salmon simply refers to salmon caught in its natural environment, such as oceans, rivers and lakes. Farm-raised salmon are bred and grown through a process called aquaculture, in tanks or freshwater enclosures. Generally, wild-caught salmon tend to have a more vibrant red-orange color and distinct, fuller flavor when compared to farm-raised. Wild salmon, which I prefer, is also said to hold more nutritional value, containing more vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and vitamin B12, for example.

TRY MORE OF MY HIGH-PROTEIN SALADS AND MAINS: 

Pistachio-Crusted Fish Tacos 

Sesame Salmon Rice Bowls

Sausage, White Bean & Kale Soup 

High-Protein Chicken Caesar Wrap 

Greek Chicken Salad With Feta Pesto

Copycat Nordstrom Cafe Wild Salmon Niçoise Salad

By Rachael DeVaux

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Servings: 2

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This refreshing, flavor-filled, protein-packed salad tastes best with a simple olive oil drizzle and lemon squeezed over top in my opinion, but I've also included the recipe for the Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette, which the original recipe calls for.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

SALAD

• ▢ 2 6oz wild salmon fillets
• ▢ 5-7 medium red potatoes, quartered
• ▢ 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• ▢ 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ▢ 1/3 cup kalamata olives
• ▢ 1-2 handfuls fresh green beans
• ▢ 6 cups mixed greens
• ▢ 1-2 tbsp fresh capers
• ▢ 1 fresh lemon, quartered

HERB CRUST FOR SALMON

• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• ▢ 3 tbsp chopped green onion
• ▢ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ pink salt, to taste
• ▢ ground pepper, to taste

OPTIONAL DRESSING: DIJON BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

• ▢ 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
• ▢ 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• ▢ 1 tbsp light brown sugar, I would sub for coconut sugar
• ▢ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• ▢ 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Instructions 

POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Add quartered potatoes & spray (or toss) lightly with olive or avocado oil and pink salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing 10 minutes before done. Once cooked, set aside.
• While the potatoes are in the oven, steam green beans and cut into 2-inch pieces. Set aside. Skip to the Herb-Crusted Salmon section if you are using the olive oil and fresh lemon juice as your dressing.

OPTIONAL DRESSING: DIJON BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

• Combine balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, diced red onion, and brown sugar (or coconut sugar) into blender. Pulse until well combined, about 1 minute. With the blender running, slowly add extra virgin olive oil in a thin, steady stream, forming a vortex swirling effect until all the oil is absorbed, approximately 2 minutes. The dressing should have a medium brown color, and a smooth and somewhat creamy consistency. Season with sea salt + ground pepper, fold in fresh basil and pulse 3 times with blender, about 10 seconds each time in order to fully incorporate. Store up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

HERB-CRUSTED SALMON

• Once the potatoes are removed from the oven and cooling, heat oven to 500 degrees F. To prepare crust for salmon, make sure all fresh herbs are finely chopped, then mix together in a bowl until well-combined. Lay salmon, presentation side up, over parchment paper on baking sheet. Top with herb mix over fillet and bake for 5-7 minutes, depending on how thick the salmon is. Remove the salmon from the oven once fully cooked.

SALAD

• Except for the salmon and capers, layer salad ingredients on plate (or toss in large bowl). If using the Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette as your dressing, be sure to drizzle in and toss with salad ingredients at this time.
• Add salmon and capers on top. If not dressed with the Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette, drizzle salad with olive oil and garnish with lemon. Once served, squeeze fresh lemon over top. Enjoy!

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