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This Orange Salmon Salad recipe is tossed with a sweet and savory mix of fresh ingredients and drizzled with an irresistible ginger-honey vinaigrette.
It’s that time of year when nothing sounds better than a big green salad filled with fresh, flavorful ingredients. And lately, This Orange Salmon Salad has burst onto the scene as a new favorite here in our house. ♡
It’s made with the perfect balance of sweet and savory, tangy and creamy, crispy and juicy ingredients that I love in a great entrée salad. Seared salmon is quick and easy to cook while you prep the rest of the salad ingredients. And the warm honey ginger vinaigrette pairs perfectly with the citrus and adds an irresistible kick of heat that’s sure to have you coming back for more. We can’t get enough of this one!
That said, if salmon isn’t your thing, this salad would also be delicious with shrimp, chicken, steak, crispy tofu, or any other protein you might prefer. We’ve also loved adding navel oranges or fresh tangerines to the salad lately while they’re still in season, but I can’t wait to try this salad with peaches, mango or pineapple the summer.
Let’s make a salmon salad together, friends!
Orange Salmon Salad Ingredients
Here are some quick notes on the ingredients you will need to make this Orange Salmon Salad Recipe:
- Salmon: You will need a pound of salmon for this recipe, whichever variety you prefer, which we season with salt and pepper and sear in olive oil.
- Orange: I sliced navel oranges for this recipe, but you can use tangerines, blood oranges, or tangerines if you prefer.
- Lettuce: I love the crunchy crunch that romaine hearts (or little gems) add to this salad, but feel free to use whatever salad you prefer.
- Attorney: Sliced or diced avocado adds a delicious creaminess to this salad.
- Almonds: Toast a few sliced or slivered almonds to give the salad some crunch.
- Cucumber: Diced English cucumber (or Persian cucumbers) add crunch and freshness.
- Red onion: I recommend slicing the red onions very thinly with a mandolin knife. Feel free to briefly rinse the sliced onions in cold water if you want to soften their flavor.
- Sesame seeds: I love adding lots of toasted sesame seeds to this salad for extra flavor and crunch.
- Warm Honey Ginger Vinaigrette: This savory dressing is made with avocado oil (or olive oil), garlic, fresh ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, honey, apple cider vinegar and a dash of orange zest (from the orange used in the salad).
Tips for making this salad
Full recipe instructions are included in the recipe below, but here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when making this salad:
- Sear the salmon well. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the salmon to the pan – it should sizzle once it hits the oil! Then let the salmon rest undisturbed while it cooks on each side so it can develop a perfectly seared, crispy and flavorful crust.
- Adjust the heat of the dressing to taste. I would consider this Honey Ginger Vinaigrette recipe to be quite mild, as written. But if you want to turn up the heat, just add more crushed red pepper flakes. Or you can always drizzle hot sauce or crispy chili over the finished salad just before serving.
- Assemble *just* before serving. To avoid wilting the crispy romaine, it’s best to combine all the salad ingredients and toss with the dressing immediately before serving.
Potential Revenue Variations
Here are a few ways to customize this salmon salad recipe:
- Use another protein: Use cooked shrimp, another type of fish (i.e. trout, cod, tilapia), chicken, or steak in place of salmon.
- Use a different fruit: Use fresh grapefruit, mango, pineapple, kiwi or peaches in place of oranges.
- Use different nuts/seeds: Use peanuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, sprinkles or sunflower seeds in place of almonds.
- Add additional vegetables: Edamame, snow peas, sliced peppers or carrots would all be delicious additions to this salad.
- Add additional herbs: Chopped fresh cilantro, mint, chives or Thai basil would be fabulous too!
More salmon recipes
Looking for easier salmon recipes to try? Here are some of our favorites:
To print
Orange Salmon Salad Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound of salmon fillets
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 ounces Romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 large avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 large navel orange, zested (for the dressing)peeled and thinly sliced
- half of one English cucumber, thinly sliced
- half of one small red onion, thinly sliced
- toasted sesame seeds
Warm Honey Ginger Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 For 4 honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Orange zest (from the orange used in the salad above)
- Make the dressing. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Reduce heat to low. Add honey, vinegar, orange zest, a generous pinch of salt and black pepper and whisk to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture begins to foam slightly, then turn off the heat. Taste and season with salt, pepper and/or crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
- Toast the almonds. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and lightly browned. Transfer the almonds to a separate bowl to store them later.
- Cook the salmon. Generously season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Put the skillet back on the heat. Add the oil, then lay the salmon fillets flesh side down. Cook without disturbing for about 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for about 2-4 minutes more, until the salmon reaches your desired doneness and flakes easily with a fork. (Cooking time will depend on thickness of salmon.) Transfer salmon to a clean plate, break into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- Assemble the salad. Combine romaine, avocado, orange, cucumber, red onion, cooked salmon and half the toasted almonds in a large bowl. Drizzle evenly with the hot dressing and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining toasted almonds and extra sesame seeds, and enjoy!
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