This grilled salmon and vegetable salad is loaded with fresh local ingredients. The natural sweetness and tangy balsamic dressing takes this salad to the next level. It’s healthy, wholesome and a scrumptious meal!
Once the warm summerlike weather sets in, I automatically think of healthy salads and grilling. It is such a nice change from cooking indoors and the options are endless when it comes to grilling. I purchased a wild sockeyed salmon fillet and cut them into 3 portions. Each portion was 4 ounces (113 g.) and I found it a perfect amount for a light meal on a hot summer day.
I am very much in favour of using local produce in my recipes. In Ontario, we currently have local asparagus, hydroponic tomatoes, greens, peppers and strawberries. Now that we are in mid-June, field strawberries are available, which makes me excited!
WHAT MAKES THIS SALAD SO DELICIOUS
Where do I begin? Let’s start with the salmon…..a wild sockeyed salmon I purchased is my preference when it comes to buying salmon. I have had fish that wasn’t wild-caught and I will be honest, it doesn’t taste the same. I marinated the salmon with good quality extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and allowed it to rest for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator and the outcome was so delicious. Using quality ingredients can make such a difference in the flavours.
The greens are from a local organic farmer and I often use organic greens for a better taste and nutritional benefits. The asparagus and cherry tomatoes are local as well. The balsamic dressing which I don’t tend to make very often and when I made this dressing, I asked myself, why am I not using balsamic vinegar more often? I used Acropolis Mousto Organic Balsamic Vinegar from Greece. It is naturally sweetened and one of the best balsamic vinegar I have ever tasted!
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICOUS SALAD
If you purchase salmon with skin on, I would suggest you leave it on and lay the salmon on the grill with skin-side down first which makes it a lot easier to flip it over and avoids the salmon from sticking to the grates.
First and foremost, mariade the salmon fillets in a medium-large bowl with olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Place asparagus, zucchini, red onion and cherry tomatoes into a large flat plate. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and insert into skewers and set aside. You will season them with salt and pepper, once they are grilled.
Dressing: In a measuring cup, add olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour into a salad dressing container, and shake well, and set aside.
Once you’re ready to grill the salmon, preheat the grill to medium-high, and make sure you oil the grates with olive oil or vegetable oil to prevent the salmon from sticking, then add the salmon and vegetables. Grill salmon for 5-6 minutes on each side and rotate the vegetable skewers while they are cooking. While they are cooking arrange greens on a platter. Place grilled salmon and vegetables over the greens, drizzle the entire plate with the balsamic dressing garnish with fresh dill and enjoy!
The vegetables I chose for the recipe are those that are locally grown and wanted to keep it fresh and local. You can always substituted the vegetables to your liking. Other choices are: peppers, mushrooms, corn, eggplant, broccoli and cauliflower to name a few.
MAKING GOOD CHOICES CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
When it comes to cooking for our family, we tend to choose recipes that are easy or quick to make, and sometimes we go with what we know best and in most cases, we enjoy it. Although, we comes to entertaining or celebrations, we make more of an effort to come up with a special meal. It is always important to choose ingredients that are good quality, if all possible to really enjoy the true flavours and understanding how good quality ingredients can make a difference. I recommend to purchase organic products (try to look for sales is helpful) and a good quality extra virgin olive oil as it can actually make a difference in the taste of the dish. Throughout my blog, I have recommended products and make suggestions. For this recipe, I used a Greek evoo or any Mediterranean evoo are considered the best. As well, I have already mentioned the balsamic vinegar I prefer to use as well.
The beauty of summer cooking is we have fresh herbs and produce to add to our recipes and it truly elevates the flavour of the dish, making is oh so delicious. Either way, hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!
Grilled Salmon and Vegetable Salad with Sweet Balsamic Dressing
Equipment
- Outdoor or indoor grill
Ingredients
Salmon and Vegetables
- 12 oz wild sockeye salmon fillet
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped plus extra for garnishing
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pinch of pepper
- 12-15 asparagus stems
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 12-15 cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 red onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Balsamic Dressing: yields 1/2 cup
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 11/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Salad:
- 5 cups mixed greens
- 3-4 radishes, sliced
Instructions
- In a medium-large bowl, stir together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, rosemary, dill, salt and pepper. Add salmon fillets and coat well with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. If the salmon has the skin on, I would suggest to not remove it as this will be helpful when grilling the salmon.
- Place asparagus, zucchini, red onion and cherry tomatoes into a large flat plate. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and insert into skewers and set aside. Season with salt and pepper once grilled.
- Dressing: In a measuring cup, add olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour the ingredients into a salad dressing container, and shake well, and set aside.
- Preheat grill to medium-high, then add oil to grates to prevent the salmon from sticking. Place salmon with skin-side down and add the vegetables. Grill salmon for 5-6 minutes on each side and rotate the vegetable skewers while they are cooking. While cooking arrange greens on a platter.
- Serve salmon and grilled vegetables over greens. Drizzle with balsamic dressing over the entire platter. Garnish with fresh dill and enjoy!
