Salmon Nicoise Salad Lunchbox

Learn the shortcuts you can take to make this Salmon Nicoise Salad recipe a breeze to pack and the tips for keeping it fresh for hours in a lunch bag!

Lunch Salad with Canned Salmon

This simple twist on the classic French salad is one of my go-to salads to pack for lunch when I have leftover cooked green beans and potatoes from dinner.

Using canned salmon adds protein and nutrition to the Nicoise salad which is perfect for my teen daughter, who loves salads for lunch -it’s also more filling than a simple lettuce, tomato, and avocado salad.

Ingredients

Keeping some of the classic Nicoise salad ingredients plus adding a few shortcuts makes this lunch salad a breeze to pack:

• Romaine lettuce: Crisp and refreshing base for this salad; you can substitute with mixed greens or spinach if you prefer.
• Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes add fresh and juicy flavor to this salad.
• Green Beans: cooked green beans are enjoyed at room temperature. You can steam them quickly in the microwave, use leftovers, or even canned beans.
• Cooked Potatoes: they are filling and make this salad hearty. Use leftover cooked potatoes or steam or microwave a few.
• Salmon: adds protein and a healthy dose of omega-3s. Can be leftover cooked salmon from dinner, canned or from a pouch. You can also swap it with tuna. 
• Hard-Boiled Egg: an epic ingredient that adds protein and is great to have on hand. Tip: learn to make easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs here.
• Kalamata Olives: a classic ingredient in this salad that adds a salty flavor. Black or green olives will work too!
• Balsamic Vinaigrette: use a ready-to-go or make an easy homemade vinaigrette quickly that lasts up to a week.

How to Make a Lunchbox Salmon Nicoise Salad

Here are a few tips in each step that make packing a salad for lunch like this salmon Nicoise a breeze:

1. Prep
   Steam, boil, or microwave the potatoes and the green beans and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. They are added cold to this salad.
2. Build the salad
   Layer the ingredients inside a salad lunchbox container. Some let you separate the wet ingredients and you can mix them up right before serving.  
3. Separate the Dressing
   Fill a small lidded container with the dressing and drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette right before serving to maintain the salad’s texture and flavor.
4. Pack it for Lunch
   Refrigerate the salmon nicoise salad or pack it with an ice pack inside a lunch bag.

First time assembling this Salmon Nicoise Salad? Watch this quick video to see how I pack it for lunch:

Packing Salad Dressing for School Lunch

Salads stay appetizing when the dressing is packed separately and added right before eating. I have an entire post on how to pack dressings in lunchboxes and the best containers to use.

Lunch Packing Tips for Salmon Nicoise Salad

Salads are great for lunch, even when it’s hot outside! The tips below will help you keep it fresh inside the lunchbox until lunch:

Avoid Soggy Lettuce
Keep the tomatoes whole and pack the dressing separately so the lettuce stays crisp and fresh.

Save Time
Batch cook the hard-boiled eggs, and plan to cook potatoes and green beans for dinner so so all you have to do is assemble!

More Lunch Salad Ideas

Other lunch salads you can pack quickly inside a lunch box include this Santa Fe Chicken Salad, a Cobb Salad, and a delicious BLT salad.