Joy Bauer’s Anti-Inflammatory Sheet Pan Salad

I’ve been watching the summer Olympics this week, have you? As I watch, I feel inspired by the athletes’ endless energy, strength and ability that seems to exceed human capability. Beyond their talents, all I can think about is how hungry they must be. Which, for some reason, makes me also feel hungry. Combined with imagery of the beautiful landscape and architecture of Paris, I find myself craving Parisian specialties. It seems like Joy Bauer, nutrition expert for the Today show, feels the same. She recently shared her anti-inflammatory Sheet Pan Salmon Salad Niçoise recipe on Instagram and we’re smitten.

To make the recipe, Joy starts with roasting red potatoes, French green beans and grape tomatoes on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil. Seasoning the vegetables directly on the pan rather than in a bowl means one less dish to clean, which is a handy hack. After a quick trip in the oven, she makes space among the vegetables for four filets of salmon, and seasons everything with salt and pepper. The fully roasted salmon and vegetables are placed on top of a bed of mixed greens and then garnished with hard-boiled eggs, artichoke hearts and a drizzle of homemade honey-mustard vinaigrette. 

Unlike traditional niçoise salad, Joy’s version takes advantage of the ease of sheet-pan cooking.  Using one pan to cook several components at once simplifies the time consuming nature of cooking of individual ingredients as typically done in niçoise recipes. Joy also smartly uses salmon in place of tuna, which is a nutritious choice that cooks quickly. And the honey-mustard vinaigrette adds a slightly sweet touch to replace the bite of the typical Dijon-based dressing. 

When it comes to serving the salad, Joy recommends enjoying it warm, straight out of the oven. If you’re not ready to eat right away, you can also refrigerate it and serve it chilled the following day. “The dish is  flexible,” Joy told me, “ You can swap in chicken for the salmon and use whatever fresh herbs you like—chopped basil, cilantro, chives, scallions or tarragon, for example. 

Not only is Joy’s salad a delicious twist on a traditional niçoise salad, her version features a powerhouse lineup of anti-inflammatory superstars. Gold medal winners include omega-3-packed wild-caught salmon and extra-virgin olive oil, antioxidant-rich green beans, leafy greens, tomatoes and artichoke hearts, as well as hard-boiled eggs, a source of vitamin D. Collectively, this team of ingredients works together to provide nutrients that may help reduce inflammation while providing energy for your daily activities, whether Olympic or not.