I'm one of those people that will indulge on the weekends and attempt to eat healthier during the week. People say that everything in moderation is healthy right? So in theory, my donuts on Saturday morning are well balanced with salads during the week. This roasted lemon garlic salmon salad has quickly become my go-to meal when I want a hearty salad that's still easy on the calories. Prepare the cooked items in large batches at the beginning of the week so that all you have to do is toss them together for a quick lunch or dinner. How can you say no when everything is ready to go? Trust me, you won't regret meal prepping this salad because it sure is good.
Roasted Lemon Garlic Salmon Salad
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- salt and pepper
- 1 lb salmon filet
Caesar vinaigrette
- ½ teaspoon garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- pinch of sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Remaining ingredients
- 8 cups mixed salad greens radicchio, little gem lettuce, spinach, arugula
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 bartlett pears sliced
- 2 avocado sliced
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine marinade for salmon including garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade on salmon and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until flesh flakes easily.
- Meanwhile, make vinaigrette. Whisk together garlic with Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Add grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble salads. Plate salad greens on plates and top with cooked quinoa, sliced pears, avocado, and red onion, pistachios, and salmon. Drizzle dressing on top and serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
This roasted lemon garlic salmon salad has many components but everything can be modified to fit your palate. Not a fan of salmon? Substitute chicken, steak, shrimp, really any protein. Are pears not in season? Use apples instead. Can't find salad greens? How about some kale? That's the great thing about salads - you can replace almost any item and it will still taste great.
Start by marinating the salmon. It only needs 20 minutes because of the high amount of lemon. Don't be afraid of the garlic - it adds flavor!
Cook the quinoa, slice the pears, cut the avocado and red onion, chop toasted pistachios, and you are ready to go. If you don't like the sharp onion taste, you can soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to dull the flavor.
For the Caesar vinaigrette, you can choose to omit the cheese - it will still taste great. This is one of my favorite vinaigrettes because it's versatile and it's delicious. Although it's not quite like a heavy caesar dressing, it still has enough resemblance.
Bake the salmon until the flesh flakes easily, about 12-15 minutes. If you like your salmon cooked medium done, bake it for 12 minutes. Let the fish rest for 10 minutes to let the juices settle.
Assemble the beautiful roasted lemon garlic salmon salads, drizzle on that dressing and dig in. Can you believe this salad is healthy and so satisfying? I've had this salad four times now and the tallies just keep on coming.
For more salmon inspiration check out this BBQ spiced salmon with caramelized pineapple!
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