Fresh ideas for light and easy weeknight dinners.

Poached Salmon Niçoise



Poached Salmon Niçoise

This reinvented version of Salade Niçoise uses wild Western salmon instead of tuna and anchovies, and adds watercress-because we love greens.

Ingredients

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon kosher salt

10 black peppercorns

2 cups white wine

2 pounds skin-on wild salmon fillet pieces (1 to 1 1/2 in. thick)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

5 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Sea salt to taste

2 large bunches watercress, root ends trimmed, leaving stems intact

10 small yellow-skinned new potatoes, boiled until tender and cut in half

4 hard-cooked eggs, cut into quarters

1/4 pound haricots verts (French green beans) or regular green beans, trimmed and boiled until tender-crisp

1/2 cup pitted Niçoise olives

3 Roma tomatoes, cut into lengthwise wedges

Preparation

1. To a large roasting pan, add bay leaves, kosher salt, peppercorns, and wine. Add salmon and enough water to cover.

2. Remove salmon and set aside; bring liquid to a boil, covered. Reduce to a simmer, then gently slide salmon into liquid and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, covered, until salmon is just opaque.

3. While salmon is cooking, make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, mustard, and vinegar. Gradually whisk in oil until dressing is emulsified. Whisk in herbs and season with sea salt.

4. Using 2 spatulas, remove salmon, place on a cooling rack set on a sheet pan, and chill 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Discard poaching liquid.

5. Remove salmon from refrigerator and break into large pieces, discarding skin. On a very large serving platter, top watercress with pieces of fish, potatoes, eggs, green beans, olives, and tomatoes. Drizzle dressing over everything and serve immediately, accompanied by crusty bread.

Champagne Chicken Salad





Champagne Chicken Salad

One of the tastiest parts of this upgraded chicken salad are the young carrots. If you can't find young carrots, cut regular ones into 1/2-in. sticks instead.

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Grilled Beef and Spring Onion Salad





Grilled Beef and Spring Onion Salad

To add even more delicious flavor to this salad, try eating the young leaves from your radishes instead of composting them.

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Salmon Sesame Salad





Salmon Sesame Salad

Crumble crunchy won tons into this twist on a traditional salmon salad for a crisp textur.

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Baby Vegetable Salad with Cornichons





Baby Vegetable Salad with Cornichons

This lighter version of Russian Salade Olivier replaces much of the mayonnaise used in the original with yogurt.

You can steam the vegetables and make the dressing ahead, but serve the dressed salad right away.

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Thai-style Jicame Salad





Thai-syle Jicama Salad

Crunchy green papaya is usually the main ingredient in this type of Thai salad, but it can be hard to find.

Surprisingly, jicama-a crisp, beige-skinned root-makes a great stand-in. Find it at well-stocked grocery stores and Latino markets. To serve as a main course, increase shrimp to 1 lb.

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Best-Ever Chinese Chicken Salad





Best-Ever Chinese Chicken Salad

This dish has all the great flavor of the original and is packed with garden-fresh ingredients.

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Grilled Chicken on Greens with Creamy Harissa Dressing





Grilled Chicken on Greens with Creamy Harissa Dressing

This chicken salad gets its wow factor from a dressing spiked with harissa, a Tunisian chile sauce. Cool yogurt balances the heat.

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Grilled Tuna Citrus Salad





Grilled Tuna Citrus Salad

Marinate albacore tuna in honey and Dijon and quickly sear it on the grill. Serve with mixed baby greens, thinly sliced sweet onion, oranges, sliced avocado, and a fresh lime dressing.

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Thai Beef Salad





Thai Beef Salad

Leftover sliced beef makes this salad easy to whip up. We love its distinctive fresh herbs and crunchy peanuts.

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Eggs and Greens





Eggs and Greens

Top a beautiful bowl of local salad greens with a perfectly fried egg, crisp slivers of leeks, and a fresh-thyme vinaigrette.

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Tomato





Tomato "Bruschetta" with Tuna and Cannellini Salad

Celebrate summer with a hearty dinner of vine-ripened tomatoes topped with a savory mix of tuna, cannellini beans, green onions, and a lemony dressing.

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Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad





Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad

Succulent shrimp, sweet mango, and creamy avocado makes a delicious meal in a bowl. Minced chiles gives the lime dressing the perfect kick.

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