Salmon, Arugula, and Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Salad with Salmon

Adding avocado and chunks of flaky cooked salmon to a salad always feels like the height of luxury to me…at least as far as salad luxury goes.  (Lobster or shrimp also don’t suck.)  This is the kind of salad I would be truly elated to see on a menu, and probably order without looking to see what else was on offer.

You can roast salmon filets with or without the skin.  If you roast them with the skin, roast them skin side down and you can use a thin spatula to slide under the salmon and separate it from the skin, which then gets discarded.

Unless you have someone hanging around like my cooking maven right hand, Mandy, who, upon seeing the skin left on the baking sheet, immediately asked, “Can I eat that?”  And then did.  I happen to love a piece of crisp salmon skin, but soft salmon skin?  *shudder*.  But she reminded me that the skin is filled with nutrients….and she is pregnant so….but no, I still don’t get it.

Another way to go (which I plan to try ) is draping a few pieces of smoked salmon over the salad — doesn’t that sound pretty fantastic?  Though I think my kids would not be as delighted as me – they like to see their smoked salmon on a bagel, and not elsewhere all that much.

Salmon, Arugula, and Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is full of bright flavors and has a very light heat from the jalapeno.

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How Much Heat from the Jalapeños?

Wondering if the whole jalapeno is going to blow the roof off this salad?  The heat in a hot pepper resides in the seeds and the veins, so if you are diligent about removing those, the jalapeños will only have a very light heat.  I once made this salad with a few deveined and seeded roasted jalapeños I had left from something else and there was a nice extra layer of roasty flavor in the dressing, but still not too much heat.

Roasting Jalapeños

To roast jalapeños, preheat the oven to 350°F, toss the jalapeños to coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for about 1 1/2 hours until wrinkly and slight collapsed. Turn off the oven and just let them continue to soften as the oven cools. Seed and chop and use in recipes like this one.

Other Salad Recipes to Try:

• Fully Loaded Spinach Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese
• Arugula, Orange and Pomegranate Salad
• Fattoush
• Avocado Salad with Creamy Miso Dressing

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Salmon, Arugula, and Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Proof that salads can be sexy.

Yield: 4 People

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

• 1 pound salmon fillet
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 6 cups baby arugula
• 1 avocado
• ½ cup halved pitted kalamata olives

For the Lemon Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or another tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 large shallot thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno seeded deveined, and minced

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it with nonstick spray.
• Place the salmon the baking sheet and smear the butter over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through. Let cool on the baking sheet. Remove the skin from the filets if applicable.
• Place the arugula in a large serving bowl. Peel and dice the avocado. Add the avocado and olives to the bowl. In a small container, combine the lemon juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, shallots and jalapenos. Shake to blend, pour most of the dressing on the salad, and toss to combine. Flake the salmon into bit sized chunks and distribute them over the salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salmon, give it a light final toss, and serve.

Notes

Roasting Jalapenos:

To roast jalapenos, preheat the oven to 350°F, toss the jalapenos to coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for about 1 1/2 hours until wrinkly and slight collapsed. Turn off the oven and just let them continue to soften as the oven cools. Seed and chop and use in recipes like this one.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 424.29kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.83g | Protein: 24.73g | Fat: 33.55g | Saturated Fat: 7.6g | Cholesterol: 77.42mg | Sodium: 375.29mg | Potassium: 930.94mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 1.87g | Vitamin A: 1109.6IU | Vitamin C: 17.08mg | Calcium: 76.41mg | Iron: 1.84mg

The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.

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