Maple Ancho Glazed Salmon Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
I’m kind of a salad freak.
Whenever the weather is warm, I could eat a salad everyday- and that is usually what I end up doing. They are easy to make ahead and carry along to work or wherever else you might be trotting off to. The key to eating tons of salads without suffering from health food boredom is to keep your ingredients interesting.
Maple Ancho Glazed Salmon Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette falls under the category of “interesting salads”, don’t you agree?
Generally, I like to start off with some sort of leafy green, seeing as we’re making a salad and all. Bibb lettuce (which you might also see as butterhead or boston lettuce), makes the perfect fluffy bed for the rest of the players in this salad. It’s really beautiful and delicate and has an amazing texture.
While the star of this show is the maple ancho glazed salmon, the dressing comes in as a close second. Cilantro and lime are two of my favorite flavors, and the tang from the vinaigrette is the perfect foil for the salmon, which has the sweetness from the maple syrup and the mellow heat of the ancho.
Taking a few extra minutes to make your own dressing is crucial to adopting a salad habit. I hate nothing more than to see someone drown a perfectly good pile of veggies in a smothering of unhealthy dressing. It’s not the fat that is an issue. All good dressings require some sort of oily base–which is conveniently delicious– but also serves a health purpose, as the nutrients in all those veggies are better absorbed when chewed on with a healthy fat of some variety.
But choosing that healthy fat source is key. Just like with homemade mayo, replacing vegetable oil with a superior fat will really benefit your body and your taste buds. Plus, take a look at the ingredients in the hundreds of bottles lining grocery store shelves. Sugar (corn syrup) is likely lurking inside 90% of them, along with additives and preservatives that don’t have any place on top of your colorful salad.
Give your body what it really needs and it will thank you later, trust me.
And your body needs this maple ancho glazed salmon. So good!
I really wanted to add some charred corn in this beautiful bowl, even though I eat corn pretty sparingly. The reason being is that in America, we unknowingly consume a HUGE amount of corn. There are a lot of reasons why, but it is inside nearly every processed food there is.
And for that reason, I eat it sparingly. But since I make it a point to not eat processed foods, tossing it in here and there isn’t really an issue. When I do add it in, I make sure it is organic, as more than 90% of the corn grown in America is GMO and treated with large amounts of pesticides.
Another thing I don’t think belongs in my salad– but a personal opinion, nevertheless.
Since charring a whole ear of corn isn’t likely to happen in April, I used a little hack involving canned corn and a dry cast iron pan. After you’ve drained the corn, dry it off as best you can with a paper towel and then leave it to char inside a hot pan without any oil.
You can skip this step if you’re crunched for time, but well worth the few extra minutes, if you ask me.
A great salad needs variety. Bold flavors, contrasting textures, and the ability to satisfy even the most intense midday stomach growls.
Boring is something that a salad should never be.
Soon you’ll be a salad freak, too!
*Note: I adjusted the quantity of this recipe slightly after one reader commented she wished it made more
Maple Ancho Glazed Salmon Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the salad
- one head butterhead or bibb lettuce
- 2 cups organic sweet corn (canned)
- grape tomatoes
- shredded carrots
- sliced red onion
- sliced radish
- 1 ripe avocados, sliced
For the salmon + glaze
- 2 filets wild caught salmon
- juice from one orange
- 2 tbs real maple syrup
- 1.5 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbs butter
- salt and pepper
For the dressing
- 2 cups packed cilantro leaves
- juice of 2-3 limes
- zest of one lime
- 1/2 tbs apple cider vinegar
- one clove garlic
- 2 tbs olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat a cast iron or stainless steel pan to medium high heat. Drain corn from can, and dry with a paper towel. Add dry corn kernels to hot pan without any oil. Let the corn cook for about 5 minutes, being careful to only stir it once or twice in order to get a char. Remove and reserve.
- In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients for glaze and bring to a slow simmer. Cook until reduced to a thick glaze, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- Line a baking sheet with tin foil, and season both sides of each salmon filet with salt and pepper. Spread a bit of oil on the foil to prevent the fish from sticking and place filets skin side down on baking sheet. Spoon glaze over the filets.
- Bake salmon filets for 10-12 minutes, turning the oven to broil for the last two minutes to caramelize the glaze.
- While the salmon bakes, add all ingredients for dressing into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide lettuce, shredded carrots, sliced avocado, tomatoes, sliced radish, and corn between 2 dishes. Add salmon filet, garnish with cilantro, and serve with dressing.
Notes
The tangy dressing pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the glazed salmon. If preparing this dressing for another salad, I would add a touch of honey.
When cooking the corn, a dry cast iron pan works best. If you don't have a cast iron pan, use a stainless steel pan. Using a non-stick pan will not result in charred corn kernels.
6 responses to “Maple Ancho Glazed Salmon Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette”
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Oh wow! This bowl of salad looks gorgoeus and I also loved these vibrant colors here!:)
Thanks, Any!
Hi Allyson,
Thank you for visiting my space.. The bowl of salad is absolutely gorgeous and I wish to have some…
Allyson,
Made this tonight. Not as pretty as yours but it tasted very good. Love the glaze on the salmon. Next time, I will double the dressing and glaze so I can use them for another meal. It’ll take no time, then.
Julie Russell
I’m so glad you liked it! I made the dressing last night for taco salads, and I wish I had made extra as well!
Delicious, in my country, we just eat salad with meat or roll paper. I think I will try make salad as your adv.