Thursday, June 19, 2014

Mediterranean Salmon Salad


This Mediterranean salmon salad is an interesting combination of part green salad and part pasta salad, neither of which overwhelm nor dominate the other. Flaking the salmon allows a rather small amount of fish to go a long way in this recipe, which is nice if you consider the price of fresh fish today. Other kinds of seafood such as crabmeat, chopped shrimp, and grouper would work equally well if you wish to stay on the seafood theme. Or I know I would like this salad with chunks of white chicken.


Have you ever forgotten an ingredient in a recipe and found it worked better without it? That’s exactly what happened here. The first time we made this salad I completely forgot to garnish it with the feta cheese. As I downloaded the pictures I noticed something was missing and discovered it was the cheese. A few days later we made the salad again and to our surprise, we thought the cheese dominated the salad and was better without it. Mistakes sometimes work out for the best and it’s your choice as to whether to include the feta or not.

Salmon is on the menu frequently at our house so instead of cooking the salmon especially for this salad, we used left-over broiled salmon. In the instructions below I’ve included my tried and true method of how to broil salmon that works perfectly every time. Using left-over salmon works great and it makes putting together the recipe go even faster, but just be sure to let the salmon come to room temperature. Don’t be tempted to leave out the red bell pepper. It gives the salad a nice crunch. As summer approaches, this salad is perfect for a main course lunch or a light dinner.


Mediterranean Salmon Salad
Adapted from My Recipes, serves 4
Printable Recipe

2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets, about 1” thick in the middle
Grape seed oil, or other neutral tasting oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup uncooked orzo
2 cups torn baby greens or baby spinach leaves
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped scallions
6 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, optional – I did not use the cheese

Place salmon on a plate, rub with oil, then season with salt, oregano & freshly ground black pepper and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes.

Cook the orzo according to package instructions, omitting the fat if you wish. Drain, rinse and set aside covered while salmon cooks. In the meantime, preheat the broiler.

Arrange the salmon, skin side down, on an unheated sheet pan lined with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up. Place the salmon under the broiler about six to seven inches from the source of heat. Broil 8 to 10 minutes or just until the pieces are cooked through. It is not necessary to turn the salmon. If salmon starts to get too crispy on the top, change from broil to bake and bake at 400 degrees until done. Do not overcook or the salmon will be dry. Allow to rest for a few minutes, then flake with two forks, leaving behind the skin to discard.

To assemble the salad, combine the drained orzo, lettuce, flaked salmon and remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese if using.


This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, and Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes.  

Have a great weekend everyone.


32 comments:

  1. What a perfect combination. Great photography also.

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  2. We got out hands on some Copper River salmon last week. Oh my it was tasty! I'll be posting it soon with a nod to you. I did use part of it for a salad. Your salad sounds and looks delicious. Next time.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  3. Sounds great! In this hot weather, we're eating a lot of salads.

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  4. It looks wonderful and ever so tasty! A great summer salad.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  5. It looks delicious Sam..We had salmon last night and I have a nice big piece left!

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  6. I hav pinned this recipe Sam and hope to add it to my menu for next week.

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  7. My mouth is watering! We are trying to eat more of a Mediterranean style diet and this is perfect!

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  8. We eat salmon almost every week and I'm always looking for different ways to prepare it. This salad has so many ingredients that I love. It's the perfect meal for a hot Atlanta night. Great post, Sam!

    Bill
    www.southernboydishes.com

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  9. Sam, Very pretty salad... Laurie would love this salmon salad! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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  10. Coincidentally, we are having salmon tonight and it's a big piece so I am sure we will have leftovers. Can;t wait to have this tomorrow. What a perfect recipe for a ladies lunch too.

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  11. This sounds fantastic, Sam! I think the cheese would overpower the flavors too. This is so perfect for summer.

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  12. Darn that looks good! I would love a plate full of it right now...and it looks healthy too. We never have any salmon leftover when we cook it here, but I could always prepare an extra piece the next time we cook it so that I can make the salad. Thanks for the recipe!

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  13. Very pretty! This sounds great Sam and I agree, it would be good with chicken too:@)

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  14. Looks like a wonderful summer meal that's loaded with great flavors. Love all the colors too!

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  15. Hi Sam, I've done something similar before, sometimes less is better. Oh but this looks wonderful, love this salad.

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  16. This looks like a great way to eat salmon - because one does get tired of plainish broiled and steamed:).

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  17. Sam, this is my kind of summer food. This dish will be on my table as soon as I go to the fish market!

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  18. This style of salad is what we now eat every day for lunch, most of which comes from the garden. It's hot and dry here, and simple fish-based salads are perfect.

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  19. Salmon is my favourite fish. This is a wonderful combination of flavours..simply perfect for the summer.

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  20. By brain KNOWS that orzo is pasta but my mouth always tells me that it is the best rice ever, so that's what I go with. This salad looks so summery, perfect for the dog days that are about to kick in.

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  21. The salad looks luscious! Something about the contrast of the pink salmon against the greens is so beautiful!

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  22. I'm always looking for creative and delicious ways to use salmon so thank you for this! beautiful:)
    Mary

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  23. I love salmon and this salad looks delicious! I will give this a try! I only wish my hubby enjoyed salmon! Oh well, he can have haddock! LOL

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  24. That's a beauty of a salad, Sam. Great that you can use just about anything for the protein too, I love your use of orzo here, too.

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  25. The next time I have leftover salmon, I'm making this recipe. I agree with you about the feta possibly overpowering the flavor of the salmon.

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  26. I'm glad that you discovered, by accident, that this salad didn't need the feta cheese after all! This salad will be perfect when we prepare a little too much salmon and have some left over. It's my favorite fish of all and this also sounds perfect for a summer salad, Sam! Glad you enjoyed Larry's annual blog get-together! Hope you're doing well in NC!
    Roz

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  27. Wonderful salad, healthy and looks tasty!

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  28. Absolutely there are times when nistakes can be blessings in cooking. Your salad looks simple to prepare and delicious. Of course it is also part of a healthy diet too.

    Happy summer to you.

    Velva

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  29. Hi Sam,
    Your Mediterranean Salmon Salad is just perfect for a summers day, it looks delicious! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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  30. i love greens and pasta together. At a salad bar I always mix in the pasta with my lettuce and this salad sounds fantastic. I just love the Mediterranean flavors

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  31. I haven't made salmon in a while and the kids love orzo. Making this soon. Pinned.

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