Why You’ll Love this Southwestern Spinach Nicoise
While traditional Nicoise salad has its charm, this Southwestern spin transforms the classic French dish into something that’ll make your taste buds do a little happy dance. I’m talking cilantro-marinated shrimp, smoky chipotle dressing, and creamy queso fresco replacing those standard olives and anchovies.
It’s comfort food that actually feels exciting.
What Ingredients are in Southwestern Spinach Nicoise?
This Southwestern Nicoise brings together the best of both worlds – classic French technique meets bold Mexican flavors. You’ll need some fresh ingredients and a few pantry staples to create this colorful, satisfying salad that looks as impressive as it tastes.
For the Salad:
- 2 cups Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes with Onion
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
- 1/2 lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
For the Cilantro Shrimp Marinade:
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Chipotle Dressing:
- 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
The beauty of this recipe lies in its flexibility. Can’t find Simply Potatoes? Regular diced potatoes work perfectly fine, just give them a bit more cooking time. If chipotle peppers seem too intimidating, start with just a tiny bit – you can always add more heat, but you can’t take it back. The queso fresco adds that creamy, mild contrast to the smoky dressing, but crumbled feta or even goat cheese would make worthy substitutes if your grocery store doesn’t carry it.
How to Make this Southwestern Spinach Nicoise
The secret to this stunning salad lies in getting your components ready before you start assembling – think of it as mise en place for salad lovers. Start by making your cilantro marinade in a small food processor, combining 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 garlic clove until it’s well blended.
Toss your 1/2 lb fresh shrimp with this green goodness until every piece is coated, then heat up a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When it’s properly hot, add 2 tablespoons butter and let it melt before adding your marinated shrimp. Cook just until they turn pink – we’re talking maybe 2-3 minutes per side, because nobody wants rubber shrimp ruining their beautiful salad.
While those cool on a plate, grab a large skillet and brown your 2 cups Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes with Onion until they’re heated through and golden, then set them aside to cool too. For even better results, you could use a cast iron dutch oven to achieve superior heat distribution and browning for your potatoes.
Now comes the fun part – creating those gorgeous rows that make this salad look like it belongs in a fancy restaurant. Spread your 10 ounces fresh baby spinach across a large platter or bowl, creating your green canvas. Here’s where you channel your inner artist: starting from one side, arrange your cooled potatoes in a neat row, followed by the cilantro shrimp, then the 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained), your 2 hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco, and finally the 1/2 sliced red onion.
The goal is to create distinct stripes of color and texture that cover the entire salad – it’s like painting with food, and honestly, way more satisfying than any art class I never took. For the chipotle dressing, whisk together 1/2 chopped chipotle chile in adobo, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon honey in a small bowl, then slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil while whisking until everything emulsifies into a smooth, smoky dream. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle over your masterpiece, and watch people’s faces light up when you bring this beauty to the table.
Southwestern Spinach Nicoise Substitutions and Variations
Let’s be honest – not everyone has queso fresco chilling in their fridge or feels brave enough to tackle a whole chipotle pepper situation. I get it.
Swap that queso for feta or goat cheese, and tame that chipotle heat with regular paprika mixed with hot sauce. Can’t find Simply Potatoes? Regular diced potatoes work perfectly fine.
What to Serve with Southwestern Spinach Nicoise
When you’ve got a salad this loaded with shrimp, potatoes, and black beans, you’re basically holding a complete meal in a bowl – but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it even better with the right sidekicks.
I love adding warm cornbread or crispy tortilla chips for extra crunch, maybe some avocado slices too.
Final Thoughts
Although this recipe might seem like a fancy restaurant dish, it’s honestly one of those meals that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together – even if you’re eating it straight from the serving bowl in your pajamas.
This salad bridges comfort food with something special, proving that impressive doesn’t always mean complicated.
