This recipe is for when you want something light but also delicious and don’t want to spend a lot of time making it. To be honest, that’s where I’m at most days and this salad fits the bill 1000%.
I love this method for poaching any kind of fish: Simply lay some lemon slices across the bottom of a skillet, sprinkle in some chopped shallots, then add some water and some wine (or dry vermouth). Lay the fish over the lemon slices, bring the liquid to a boil, and cover the pan. Let the fish cook at a very gentle simmer for about 10 minutes.
So simple.
Adding alcohol to the pan lowers the boiling point of the poaching liquid. This produces more vapor which helps the fish cook more evenly.
Laying the fish on top of lemon slices creates a part poaching and part steaming situation that prevents the fish’s flavor from being washed away and keeps the bottom of the fish from overcooking.
Like a lot of the recipes I publish here, this salad is easy to scale up or down for as many or a few people as you’re cooking for. Plan on about a half of a pound of salmon per person.
And, by the way, the honey lime dressing here is just a variation of this basic vinaigrette recipe, which is endlessly customizable for any kind of salad.
Start to finish, this salad will be on the table and ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.
Recipe notes:
The easiest way to salmon is done cooking is to gently press down on the surface of the fish with a fork. If the salmon flakes, separating easily along the white lines running through the fish, it’s finished cooking. Once it’s reached this point, remove salmon from the pan immediately to avoid overcooking.
As is the case with most salads, this one comes with plenty of variations. Use any kind of salad dressing you like and use different or additional veggies.
Serving suggestions:
When I make this salad for Steve and I for lunch, I like to serve it with slices of crusty bread, toasted if the bread is a day or two old.
But, this is also one of my favorite things to make when we have guests over for dinner on summer evenings. Everything can be prepped in advance, leaving only the salad assembly for the last minute.
When entertaining, I usually step it up and serve homemade bread. Sometimes I make a loaf of homemade sourdough, other times I opt for homemade dinner rolls, flaky buttermilk biscuits, or blueberry corn muffins.
Homemade Dinner Rolls: These dinner rolls have been a staple recipe in my family for decades. They are easy to make, soft and pillowy, and have the perfect amount of chew.
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits: These are soft on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, and rise to impressive heights with layer after delicious layer.
Blueberry Corn Muffins: These blueberry cornbread muffins are tender and buttery, lightly sweetened with honey and brown sugar, and packed with blueberries.