Pan Seared Honey Garlic Salmon Skewers and Fruity Summer Salad

This is summer in a salad! Caramelised and juicy salmon cubes- skewered up and perfect for serving. A fresh salad tossed with strawberries, purple onion, and orange mandarins. All drizzled with the all time favourite poppyseed dressing! This salad is truly a dream to prepare- just  hearing the sizzle of the salmon skewers searing in the pan has got to make you hungry!

Summer is officially here, thank Gd the heat wave from last week is over because I was actually considering moving back home to Hawaii for a second there. Walking the kids to school was like running a marathon, and I so missed getting to sit comfortably outside without feeling faint from the heat! For us, summer means long beach days, crisp watermelon picnics, and healthier eating. We are back in summer-body mode and that means exercise and good, real food! 

With the Jewish holiday of Shavuot approaching fast(as in, tomorrow), and everything being centred on Cheesecake and dairy-heavy meals, I wanted to lighten up the menu a bit with this healthier dish! Adding salmon to your salad gives it that boost to bring a simple side dish to a stunning main that will- I promise you- be gone in minutes. Besides for the health benefits of salmon, it is so hearty and filling, yet doesn’t give you that lazy, I-just-ate-and-can’t-move- feeling. (you know the one!!!!!)

Love food? Try some more favourites :

Honey Garlic Chicken Katsu

Oven Baked Moroccan Salmon

Hawaiian Style Shoyu Chicken

Let’s get cooking!

To start, we’ll marinate some fresh salmon cubes in a super simple honey garlic sauce. This is the best salmon marinade because it only takes a second to prepare but brings you all the flavour! After marinating, we’ll skewer the cubes. I like to use short wooden skewers like these, because they fit nicely in the frying pan and are super fun to eat from! 

while the salmon marinates, prepare your dressing and prep the vegg!

If you want some tip-top advice, triple the poppy seed salad dressing and keep it in the fridge for an easy salad prep any day of the week! It goes with everything. Simply add all the ingredients to a glass jar, screw the lid on tight, and shake it up!

For the salad, I like to use:

#1 a mix of baby greens and romaine lettuce, just because the baby greens on their own can be a little sharp for certain members of the fam.

#2 purple onion- sliced nice and thin. no-one wants to bite into a thick slice of onion!

#3 strawberries! they add the lovliest pop of colour and compliment the honey flavour of the salmon.

#4 mandarin oranges. usually sold in a can, these are sweet and just totally addictive. you can also slice up your own fresh oranges using the instructions in the recipe list.

sear ’em up

Searing the salmon is my favourite part, it just smells so good and is so satisfying watching the salmon turn from orange to golden and caramelised! You could really use these salmon skewers as the base for other dinner ideas- add them to soba or asian noodles! The salmon skewers really only need to cook for a couple minutes on each side- watch them carefully because they can go from perfectly golden to black very quick.

serve

This salmon salad can be fully prepped in advance- keep the skewers covered in the fridge in an airtight container, as well as the washed veggies and poppyseed dressing. When you’re ready to serve, get out a nice big, wide bowl. Using a wider bowl(as opposed to a deep one), gives more surface area for your colourful veggies to shine. Add all the salad greens and fruit to the bowl and toss with dressing first. Then arrange the salmon skewers around the edges of the bowl- meeting in the centre. I like to add some extra strawberries and oranges to garnish!

I hope you love  this Honey Garlic Salmon Salad like we do!  Remember to leave a comment/review– I love hearing what recipes are your favourites and what is the “matzav” in your kitchen.

For fun and behind-the-scenes, come and join the fam on Instagram! 

Lots of love, Estee

Pan Seared Honey Garlic Salmon Skewers on Fruity Summer Salad

Estee

Caramelised honey garlic salmon skewers and the perfect balance of fruits-and-greens- salad. Topped with our favourite poppy seed dressing!

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Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

Honey Garlic Salmon Skewers

• 500 gram salmon fillet, cubed
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed/pressed
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1/2+2 tsp sesame oil, divided

Poppyseed Dressing

• 1/4 cup oil, olive oil or canola
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbs white sugar
• pinch of black pepper

Fruity Summer Salad

• 4-6 cups baby greens/chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/2 small purple onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1/2 cup mandarin oranges, canned OR fresh mandarins
• 10-15 strawberries

Instructions

 

Honey Garlic Salmon Skewers

• Cube the salmon into 1 inch cubes. Add the crushed garlic, soy sauce, honey, and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the salmon cubes and marinate for 10-20 minutes. Remove the cubes from the marinade and thread through short wooden skewers. 4-5 cubes per skewer.
• Over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tsp sesame oil to a wide bottomed pan. You will need to sear the salmon in batches. Add skewers(my pan fits 5 at a time), and sear on each side until golden and JUST cooked through. Once you see the salmon start to caramelise a bit, you know it's ready to flip. Remove skewers from the heat and set aside. These can be made in advance- place in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat before serving.

Prepare the Poppyseed Dressing

• Place all dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a good sealed lid, and shake vigorously till well combined.

Prep Salad

• In a large wide shallow bowl, add the baby lettuce or chopped romaine lettuce. Finely slice the purple onion and sprinkle over. Add the mandarin oranges(usually sold in cans) or cut fresh mandarin oranges or cuties(instructions for that below)
• HOW TO PREP ORANGES: Cut off the top and bottom of the orange and place it down on the flat cut end. Cut around the orange, removing the peel and pith(white bits). Slice along the inside of the segment walls(the thick bits holding the wedges together), removing a slice of just the flesh.
• Wash strawberries and cut off the ends. Quarter strawberries and add to the salad. Toss gently to combine. Right before serving, pour over desired amount of dressing, and toss again. Lay the salmon skewers gently around the bowl, with the pointed ends of the skewer touching in the centre. Enjoy!

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