Chili-Lime Broiled Salmon Salad

Hello dear hearts! What’s for dinner? Oh, that again. Here’s a constant dinner companion that I have up my sleeve for when I do not want to think about dinner but I must because I decided about 9 years ago to feed and protect. Salmon salad.

It sounds simple enough, and it is, but is also a genius solution because it can be basically anything you want. Follow along below if you’d like to make this exact recipe but you really only need a fillet of salmon, some lettuce, and dressing to make salmon salad for dinner.

This is a standard at Casa Ramos because there are only a handful of dinner options that all four of us get excited about and salmon salad is one of them.

Spaghetti and meatballs is another although Louisa only eats the meatballs and Hiro only eats the pasta. Roasted chicken is another, but honestly Louisa’s not a huge fan. But salmon salad that’s a winner. Both kids love the salmon, lettuce, and if I add tomatoes, or cucumbers well they REALLY love that but even more of a bonus is I can add roasted butternut squash or potatoes and just put them on the plates that want them. I can also try something new, like these fresh garbanzo beans, and the kids will be so happy about the other stuff happening on their plates that they don’t complain one iota.

Speaking of these garbanzo beans they are delicate and delicious raw versions of the dried or canned chick peas you are familiar with.

I picked some up last weekend at the Mexican market even though I had no idea what to do with them. There was a scrum of overzealous women hoarding the pile of fuzzy green pods and shoveling them into bags with such fervor that I knew they were something not be missed.

After asking around on Instagram I realized they are best eaten charred, skin and all, on the comal with a little butter and salt and then the beans are finagled out with your teeth edamame style—a street snack eaten in Mexico AND Israel!

For the salad, I removed the beans from the shell and roasted them along with the salmon to get the same toasty effect but one you could eat with a fork. If you can’t find fresh garbanzo beans you can substitute canned beans, drained and rinsed, tossed with a little olive oil, salt and some of the chili-lime mixture you use for the salmon. Cook them the same as the fresh beans, broiled with the salmon fillet.

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Chili-Lime Broiled Salmon Salad Recipe

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

A main-course salmon salad with roasted butternut squash, pepitas, crunchy Romaine lettuce, broiled chili-lime salmon and fresh garbanzo beans.

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Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

• Zest and juice of 1 medium orange
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced scallions (green part only)
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Chili-Lime Mixture

• 3 limes zested
• 2 teaspoons ground chili powder

For the Butternut Squash:

• 2 pounds peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Salmon:

• 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, rinsed, patted dry, and pin bones removed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Salad:

• 1 pound fresh garbanzo beans, peeled
• 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried thoroughly, and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup pepitas (roasted, salted pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

To Make the Vinaigrette:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

To Make the Chili-Lime Mixture:

1. Combine lime zest and chili powder in a small bowl.

To Make the Butternut Squash:

1. Heat oven to 450°F and arrange rack in the upper third.
2. Toss squash slices with oil, salt, and 3 teaspoons of the chili-lime mixture. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until just tender when poked with a fork, about 20 minutes.

To Make the Salmon:

1. Heat broiler to high.
2. Lay salmon on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and remaining chili-lime mixture. Rub everything over the salmon so the flesh is seasoned all over.
3. Toss fresh garbanzos with a teaspoon or so of oil and a pinch of salt and arrange around the salmon. Cut one of the limes you zested in half and squeeze the lime halves over everything.
4. Broil salmon and beans until salmon is done to your likeness. This is going to depend on the thickness of your salmon, start checking after 4 minutes. Salmon should feel firm to the touch, but not hard and opaque. This could take anywhere from 4-10 minutes.

For the salad:

1. Toss Romaine, pepitas, squash, cilantro leaves, and garbanzo beans with about half of the vinaigrette. Arrange on plates and divide the salmon on top of the salad. Pass remaining dressing on the table.

Did you make this recipe?

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