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Salmon Asparagus Salad – Garden to Table

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Salmon & Asparagus Salad with Feta cheese, cranberries, and walnuts. A fancy restaurant quality salad at home!

Have you ever eaten in one of those trendy, bistro style restaurants and wished you could make the same amazing salad at home?  Now you can!  I always go for the “full meal in a bowl” salads with chicken or fish, vegetables, cheese, nuts and fruit.  I’m often surprised how well ingredients such as these, with nearly opposite flavors and textures, compliment one another and fit together perfectly.  Each summer (or spring) I create recipes to feature our homegrown fresh vegetables in Garden-to-Table posts.  Since we recently started harvesting our homegrown asparagus, I thought this would be a great time to combine a hearty salad with my favorite spring vegetable in a Salmon Asparagus Salad – from our Garden to Table.

 

 

Salmon & Asparagus Salad with Feta cheese, cranberries, and walnuts. A fancy restaurant quality salad at home!

We planted asparagus three years ago and each season it grows stronger and multiplies.  They say a good asparagus garden can last up to 20 years but that you should let it get well established before picking.  Some recommend waiting two or three seasons before hitting it hard.  Now that we reached the third season, we often check the asparagus in the morning because on a good warm, sunny day, it can grow big enough to pick by dinner.  A super productive asparagus garden may need picked twice a day during peak season.  Asparagus is loaded with B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and iron making it an amazing super vegetable for your table.

 

 

Salmon & Asparagus Salad with Feta cheese, cranberries, and walnuts. A fancy restaurant quality salad at home!

The salmon is seasoned with salt and pepper and broiled to form a nice tender crust.  Once cooled the salmon is divided into large bowls atop assorted greens.   The salad is finished with lightly steamed fresh (homegrown) asparagus, crumbled feta cheese, dried cranberries, cherry or grape tomatoes and a handful of walnuts.  A homemade Lemon Vinagrette is drizzled on top and before you know it, you have your own restaurant quality salad … at home!

 

Salmon & Asparagus Salad with Feta cheese, cranberries, and walnuts. A fancy restaurant quality salad at home!

Salmon Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Yield: 2 servings
Course: Main, Salad
Author: Tricia
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A bright and fresh salad topped with broiled salmon and finished with steamed asparagus, feta cheese, dried cranberries, tomatoes and walnuts. 

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 2 juicy lemons
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot, 1/2 a small shallot
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

For the salad:

  • 1/2 pound wild caught salmon fillet, skin on
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 4 - 6 cups assorted lettuce and wild greens
  • 12-14 stalks fresh asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

  • To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients and whisk together until combined. Set aside at room temperature while preparing the salad.
  • Preheat the oven to Boil. Coat the salmon fillets in 1 teaspoon olive oil, on both sides. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat an oven proof skillet on medium and place the salmon in the skillet, skin side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes then turn and cook another 2-3 minutes. Turn the fillet back over so the skin side is down and place under the broiler. Broil until the salmon is cooked through and crispy brown on top.
  • Remove the salmon from the oven and transfer to a clean plate. Cool while preparing the salad.
  • Place the asparagus pieces in the top of a steamer basket. Bring to a boil and steam, with the lid on, for 2-3 minutes or until the asparagus is bright green. Remove from the heat and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain on paper towels before adding to the salad.
  • Fill two large bowl with the greens. Divide the salmon and asparagus between the two bowls and finish with all remaining ingredients. Season with fresh ground pepper if desired. Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Substitute dried cherries for the cranberries or pecans for walnuts if desired.

Hope you had a lovely weekend.  I’m heading back out to the garden to weed my herb and flower box.  We can’t wait for tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash to grow.  Stay turned for more asparagus recipes coming soon.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

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42 Comments

  1. b says

    5 stars
    Wow what a wonderful salad.
    Loved the dressing.
    I did cook it in the oven, salmon and
    asparagus 400 deg. for 8 min.
    Turned out great!
    Will be making this all the time with
    fresh asparagus.

    reply to this comment >

  10. Monica says

    Tricia – you clearly have a wonderful garden and I know you have an amazing table! I also love a meal in a bowl, too, and this is just the kind of well-rounded bowl I love. Can’t believe you are using your own asparagus and it just looks wonderful with all the fresh greens. Adding salmon (and walnuts) is just the richness I need. I’m in the habit of including some grains in my bowls. I like to really stuff myself! ; )

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      It’s a small garden Monica but it’s more than enough for us to take care of. We used to plant way more than we needed and had trouble giving it all away – crazy people 🙁 Tomatoes get out of hand quickly! I agree about hearty salads and meals in a bowl – I like to feel full!

      reply to this comment >

  12. Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners says

    Oh, I would love to have asparagus in my garden, Tricia! I do have a farm nearby though so I consider myself lucky that I can go and pick it.
    Asparagus and salmon are such a perfect combo and this salad is something I could make 3 times a week all summer long. The dressing is so perfect with it!

    reply to this comment >

  15. Chris Scheuer says

    You lucky dog! We’re just starting a garden this year but I really want an asparagus bed so bad. The problem is I want it now. But I’ll take your example and try to be patient. In the meantime I’ll run to the store for asparagus to make this fabulous salad. It’s so fresh, vibrant and pretty. And healthy, such a win-win-win-win!

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      We adore our garden Chris – and can’t wait for tomatoes too. We have a large compost bin that we use year round. In spring we incorporate the rich new dirt into our raised beds, then start over again in the compost box. So glad the asparagus is growing – we love it!

      reply to this comment >

  16. Shelia Nelson says

    Mmmmmmm!! Salmon and asparagus!! I’ll make this for supper one evening this week! I’ve been thinking about adding asparagus to my tiny garden. I suppose it would do well in a raised bed?

    reply to this comment >

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