SALMON, AVOCADO AND SPINACH SALAD

Name: Salmon, Avocado, And Spinach Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb (.5kg) fresh organic salmon filet; 1 tbsp (.15ml) extra virgin olive oil; kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste; 6 cups (900g) baby spinach (or spinach & arugula mix); 1 avocado ((peeled & sliced)); 2 Valencia oranges (can also use blood oranges) ((peeled & sliced)); 2 green onions ((sliced))

Read Time: 4 minutes
by Karen
23 comments

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This spinach salad has always been one of my favorite summer meals. It’s light, fresh, and full of healthy vitamins and nutrients. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s quick and simple to make. Who wants to be slaving over a hot stove in the summer heat?

2 white bowls filled with a salmon, spinach & avocado salad.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

Salmon filets – I prefer to use organic Salmon but you could use whatever you have on hand.
Extra virgin olive oil – I recommend using the best quality you can afford.
Baby spinach – I’ve used spinach but you could also use a spinach and arugula mix.
1 avocado – Peeled and sliced.
Valencia oranges – I used valencia but when they are in season blood oranges would also be tasty with this salad.
Green onions – Sliced.

You will also need my Tangy Vinaigrette for which you can find the recipe here.

A wooden board with a small jar of vinaigrette on it.

How Do You Make Salmon, Avocado, And Spinach Salad?

This salad is so easy and literally takes 30 minutes from start to finish. I start by brining the salmon in saltwater for 10 minutes. This helps minimize the amount of albumin released from the salmon. Albumin is the white gooey stuff that often seeps out of salmon when it’s cooked. While it’s perfectly safe to eat it can be unsightly so for a prettier finished dish I like to brine it first.

While the salmon is in the brine I preheat the oven to 325F. Most salmon recipes call for 350F but cooking at a lower temperature also helps to minimize the amount of albumin that’s released and helps keep the fish tender and moist. Once the salmon is brined I dry it and rub it with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper and cook. At 325F a 1″ thick piece of salmon will take about 18 minutes to cook to medium rare. I like my salmon a little rare in the center so I’m careful not to overcook it. I like to use the time while the salmon is cooking to prepare the other ingredients and make the dressing. Once the salmon is cooked all you have to do is assemble the salad and enjoy.

A serving platter with a fork & knife and a salmon spinach salad on it.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS;

How do you not overcook salmon in the oven? Overooking salmon can result in dry salmon. For moist baked salmon it's best to remove it from the oven just before it's done. It will continue to cook while resting while retaining it's moisture.

How do you know if salmon is done in the oven? To check if salmon is done, press down on the flesh with your finger or a fork. It should be slightly resistant but still give way. Alternatively pierc the flesh with a fork. It should flake easily. If it resists the fork it need more cooking time.

Why does white stuff come out of salmon? The white stuff on cooked salmon is albumen. A liquid protein that is released from salmon when it's cooked. It's perfectly natural and harmless. To minimize the amount of albumen that is release you can brine the fish in salted cold water for about 10 minutes before cooking it.