Blackened Salmon Salad with Horseradish Sauce ~ Macheesmo

This blackened salmon salad is part of the ongoing project of my big ass salads where I post, well, very big salads.

While most of the salads in this series are vegetarian, it has roasted salmon on it. I love the lady protein and I find the salmon in a really cold salad if you eat it for lunch or something.

However, I give some substitutes under the recipe if you are looking for something different for this salad or it’s okay to just leave the salmon out.

The real star of this salad is the return sauce. Think of it as a blue cheese sauce, but a little more glamorous! Must try it!

What is a big ass salad?

A big ass salad is exactly what I call this series of salads that I will be inventing over the next month or so. I currently have ten on the list to work on and they are all incredibly large. The purpose of a big ass salad is that you can toss it together in about 30 minutes (maybe some 40 minutes) and they will feed you a lot of meals.

The salads are all kept pretty well for a few days and are loaded with vegetables with a base of grains and greens so they fill up in abundance. Most of them are vegetarian, but there are some with meat.

But they are all huge and so delicious.

How to make blackened salmon

This salad has some great protein elements and this blackened salmon is the main ingredient there.

I like to season the salmon with the blackening seasoning. If you have not yet eaten this Cajun spice, it is relatively easy to find or you can order On Amazon.

Just do not overdo it with the spice as it can be too spicy for children if added too much. Drizzle with olive oil, some of this spice mixture, and some salt and pepper and your salmon is ready to roast.

Throw the salmon in the 400˚F oven for 8-10 minutes and it will be ready to use. You can easily disassemble it when it is ready.

I think it is best to let the salmon cool to room temperature before adding it to the salad so it does not confuse the greens.

How to make horse sauce (horseradish).

This is a really easy sauce to make. It starts almost like a homemade farm or blue cheese with butter, sour cream, chives, lemon and then some horseradish.

If you can find straight horseradish straight, it is best that you can use less of it and it catches a real punch. You can also use horseradish sauce that has other things in it and is more delicate.

No matter what you use, start small! You can always add more. I usually only start with a teaspoon and up until I reach the desired spice level.

Additional ingredients in this blackened salmon salad

I love the mix of other ingredients in this blackened salmon salad including:

• Quinoa – Cook the quinoa according to the instructions and let it steam and swell with a fork. Be sure to let the quinoa cool before adding it to the greens.
• Baby Arugula – Love this peppery mixture in this salad but you can use any green.
• Purple Cabbage – Great Crunch!
• Cucumbers – a wonderful crispy vegetable with fresh flavors.
• Sweet corn – a great color and the sweetness helps balance the spicy salmon and sauce.

My full recipe for a blackened salmon salad

Blackened salmon salad with horseradish sauce

By Nick

presenter:

6 servings

Preparation time:

15 minutes

Cooking time:

20 minutes

Total time:

40 minutes

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This hearty blackened salmon salad is a wonderful meal in one bowl. It has roasted salmon, arugula, quinoa, vegetables and a slightly spicy and slightly sweet horseradish sauce. The sauce gives this salad a real kick!

Component

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet

1 tablespoon blackening seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups baby arugula

2 cups chopped purple cabbage

1 cup quinoa, boiled and chilled

1 medium cucumber, sliced

1 cup sweet corn

Horseradish sauce:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chives

1-2 tea Horseradish ointment

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper

Instructions

For salad dressing:

1. Whisk together butter, sour cream, chives, horseradish, honey, lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of horseradish ointment and then adding more if you want more kick.

For blackened salmon:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Remove bone bones from the salmon with some tweezers (if they are there), then cut the salmon into 4-ounce portions so that it will roast faster. Drizzle with olive oil, blackening seasoning, salt and pepper. Roast for 8-10 minutes until the salmon breaks down easily.

To finish a salad:

1. Cook quinoa in water according to the instructions on the package. I like to boil it for 12-15 minutes and then drain all the extra water using a mesh strainer. Then return the quinoa to the pot, cover the heat and let steam for 3-4 minutes. Then flip with a fork and allow to cool in a large bowl.
2. Toss quinoa with arugula and add the corn, cucumber and purple cabbage.
3. Divide salads between bowls and top with salmon and then drizzle sauce. You can also rap salmon into the salad if you prefer.

Leftovers should be stored separately (salmon and salad) and combined before serving. Dress right before serving as well. A salad will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator if stored properly.

Easy to swap ideas

This blackened salmon salad is very ready to replace. Here are some ideas!

• Leave the salmon. You can leave it out completely and the salad is still very good or replace it with blackened chicken or steak.
• Instead of arugula try other vegetables like baby kale or spring mix salad.
• Instead of quinoa, try other grains like Farrow.

Some more great salmon recipes to try!

Salmon is one of our favorite foods to cook during the week. Our kids love it, which I know is not always the case. Here are some of our favorite recipes to try!