In the summer, you want quick, fresh, and filling meals that don’t require turning on the oven. This salad checks all those boxes. Our favorite 5-Minute Smoky Chipotle Dressing and Peach Cucumber Salsa go well with flavorful, crispy salmon, black beans that are full of fiber, and crunchy, colorful greens. Get ready for a major treat for your taste buds!
Smoked Summer Salad with Lime-Crusted Salmon
Ingredients
SALAD
- 1 batch of Smoky Chipotle Dressing in 5 Minutes (or sub store-bought chipotle ranch or similar dressing)
- Easy Peach Cucumber Salsa, 1 batch (or sub-store-bought or homemade mango salsa)
- 6 cups romaine lettuce (or sub-mixed greens)
- 1 12 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 can of black beans, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed (optional)
SALMON
- 1/4 cup of brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp lime zest (4 medium limes yield ~4 Tbsp zest)
- 1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp powdered garlic (optional)
- 3 Tbsp lime juice (1 large lime yields ~3 Tbsp juice)
- 4 (4-6 oz.) salmon filets, skin and bones removed
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil (for cooking fish)
If you love salads, you should also read cucumber yogurt salad.
Instructions
SALAD: If you want to use homemade dressing and peach salsa (both of which are good ideas), make them now and set them aside. Mix the lettuce, cabbage, and black beans (if you want to) together in a large serving bowl. Set aside.
SALMON: Mix the brown rice flour, cornstarch, lime zest, salt, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl or dish that is about the size of a medium bowl (optional). Whisk until everything is mixed well and there are no lime zest clumps. close by.
Put the lime juice in a separate shallow bowl and set it nearby. Then get a big dinner plate and put it near the stove for the salmon that’s already been cooked.
On medium heat, heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan. Start the salmon assembly line when the oil is hot and shimmering. Put one salmon filet in the lime juice and turn it over once or twice to coat it evenly. Lift it up gently and let any extra lime juice drip off. Then put it in the flour and zest mixture. Press gently on the salmon’s top, flip it over, and press it again or twice until it is evenly covered in the mixture. Lift it up and gently shake off any extra flour. Put it right into the hot pan.
Cook the salmon for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reads 145 F. (63 C). When the salmon is done, put it on a plate so it can cool down a bit. Do the same with the rest of the salmon.
To make the bowls, divide the greens and beans among the bowls and top each with peach salsa and chipotle dressing. Put a salmon filet in each bowl and enjoy!
The food tastes best when it’s just been made, but leftovers can be kept separate in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Not freezer friendly.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate based on the least amount of salt, 4-ounce salmon filets, and no optional ingredients (black beans or garlic powder).
We tried this with our DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend. It was good, but the brown rice flour and cornstarch made it much lighter and crispier, which we liked much more.
