Salty-Sweet Strawberry Salmon Summer Salad

Fresh summer greens, strawberries, salmon, parmesan, crunchy salted maple almonds, and simple balsamic vinaigrette will make this beautifully textured and flavorful strawberry salmon summer salad a regular in your meal rotation!

this recipe

If you're anything like me, then you like your salads to be MASSIVE and packed with tons of flavors and textures, which is why today I present to you one very special strawberry salmon summer salad. Inspired by my favorite menu item at a restaurant in my hometown, it's what I order every single time I go there. Being someone who normally likes to switch it up on my restaurant adventures... that's saying something.

So, I'm just going to casually drop a few phrases... and you tell me if you don't want to shovel this salad in your mouth in a very unladylike way:

1. Crispy-edged, rich-centered, roasted fresh salmon.
2. Crunchy, salty-sweet almonds sautéed in maple syrup, and salted.
3. Savory parmesan (or asiago!) cheese and crunchy red onions, balanced by sweet, juicy strawberries.
4. All of the above soaking up a simple balsamic vinaigrette, atop your favorite fresh summer greens.

Right?! I want to demolish this.

Ingredients You'll Need

To make this strawberry salmon summer salad, you'll need:

• Fresh salmon (I prefer wild-caught, but check out this article on wild-caught vs. farm-raised to see what works for you!)
• Mixed greens
• Red onions
• Strawberries
• Parmesan or asiago
• Slivered almonds
• Maple syrup
• Sea salt
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• Fresh garlic

A quick note on the salmon -- you can definitely thaw out some frozen salmon as a substitute for fresh, but in my experience, fresh salmon more consistently yields those delightfully crisped edges and rich center.

How to Make Strawberry Salmon Summer Salad

There are four main components to making this salad:

1. Roasted salmon (oven).
2. Salted maple almonds (stovetop).
3. Salad (bowl).
4. Balsamic vinaigrette (mason jar or blender).

Since the last three components come together while the salmon is baking, this is a 30-minute meal sort of situation (love that).

First, you'll get the salmon started.

We're doing the salmon in the oven, so preheat to 375 and prep a sheet pan (or whatever baking dish you have on hand) with a silicone baking mat (affiliate link) or some olive oil. Brush the top of the salmon with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake!

Usually, I'll get a ¾-inch thick piece of salmon and bake it for 20 minutes with successful results (crispy edges that flake with a fork, and fully cooked insides). For a thinner or thicker piece, you'll want to check a little earlier or later to avoid over or undercooking.

Meanwhile, toast the almonds in maple syrup and salt.

Gotta get that salty-sweet! Salted maple almonds (or any nut or seed) are incredibly quick and easy to make. All you need to do is sauté some slivered almonds in a little bit of maple syrup and salt, let them cool, and try not to eat them all before they make it to the salad (read: definitely make extra ;)).

Note, slivered almonds toast pretty quickly (6-7 minutes), so you'll want to constantly monitor the stove and stir regularly so they don't burn.

Now for the salad!

Pretty simple and straight forward -- wash produce, slice your strawberries (I like them quartered lengthwise), quarter and thinly slice the red onion, and grate/shave your parmesan if necessary. Combine everything together in a large bowl.

Finally, a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

Just your usual vinaigrette suspects (pantry staples, might I add!): oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, maple syrup (or another sweetener), salt & pep. Either shake all that up in a mason jar, or, if you don't want to mince your garlic first, hit up that blender.

At this point, your salmon is probably done, and I'm willing to bet you know the rest: assemble, DEVOUR.

If You're Into Hearty Salads...

Then you might like these, too!

• Creamy Kale Caesar Salad with Avocado
• Thai Peanut Chicken Salad
• Late Summer Veggie Pasta Salad
• Wild Rice Pomegranate Salad

Shh... did you just hear someone say eat my weight in freshly toasted salted maple almonds? BRB.

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