Sometimes my brain tosses around many ingredients in my mind and then consults my tastebuds to see if they work together. This rainbow smoked salmon was just that. Then my taste buds had a meeting with my eyes and decided to put it in a rainbow pattern because everything tastes better in a rainbow.
I am a sucker for salads. My crispy buffalo chicken salad for summer and now this salad for spring! This rainbow smoked salmon salad is so bright and fresh with so many different bursts of flavor.
Let's talk about these salad ingredients! So to start, the bed of greens is a blend of arugula and kale. I love this green combination as arugula is bitter and light, and kale is crunchy and heavy. Together they act as a great base to hold up to the creamy herb yogurt dressing. The dressing is so luscious and showcases fresh herbs of dill and parsley. There is a touch of lemon for acid and a drizzle of olive oil to enhance the texture.
On the edge of the rainbow, we have delicious tomatoes marinated with basil, parsley, thyme. They are sweet and offer a fresh component to the salad. Then the show stopper smoked salmon! I am a smoked salmon fan girl! I try to find any excuse to use it or eat it. The smoked salmon is silky in texture and smoky in flavor. The golden raisins provide a chewy aspect to the salad and bites of sweetness. The plump corn kernels are buttery and mildly sweet.
So when developing this salad, I couldn't figure out what it was missing. All the ingredients were great, but it just needed something more. Then pearled couscous entered the party! The couscous added the nuttiness I wanted and fibrous quality. Speaking of nuttiness, the pepita seeds added some of that as well. I like how large they are in comparison to sunflower seeds. The shallots enhanced the sharpness of the salad. Last but not least, the pecorino romano cheese! The peppery zingy taste really balanced out all of the ingredients.
Okay, if you read all that and you're not drooling yet, your tastebuds might not be working. I am drooling just writing this!
Rainbow Smoked Salmon Salad
Ingredients
Marinated Tomatoes
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ teaspoon black pepper
Herb Yogurt Dressing
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Salad
- 3 cups arugula
- 2 cups kale
- Marinated tomatoes
- 6 ounces smoked salmon
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 cup corn about 2 cobs, boiled and cut off the cob
- 1 cup pearled couscous prepared according to label and cooled
- ½ cup pepita seeds
- 2 large shallots finely chopped
- 4 ounces pecorino romano shaved
- Herb Yogurt Dressing
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all of the marinated tomato ingredients and sit in the fridge to marinate for 2-24 hours.
- In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all of the dressing ingredients until smooth. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until serving.
- For the salad to appear in a rainbow pattern, prepare in the following method: Place a bed of arugula and kale at the bottom of a large bowl. On top of the greens from left to right, place marinated tomatoes, smoked salmon, golden raisins, corn, couscous, pepita seeds, and shallots. Drizzle the herb yogurt dressing on top, along with shaved pecorino romano.
McKenna Zandarski says
This is by far the best salad I’ve ever made in my entire life
Emma Essence says
Oh gosh, that is just about the best compliment ever! Thank you so much! I am so glad you love it.
Haley Breshears says
this salad is SO GOOD!! All of the flavors come together so well. Seriously from the dill, Greek yogurt and garlic in the dressing to the corn and pearled couscous like I’m obsessed with how they all combine. Thank youu for this! I have eaten it 3 days in a row
Emma Essence says
Thank you so much Haley! I am so glad you love this recipe. I agree, all the flavors combined makes a magical bite!
Rebecca says
I’m staying with a friend and made this salad for dinner last night for us - it was fabulous! That dressing is so good. I really like the raisins with the smoked salmon flavor.
She said I’m welcome to stay as long as I want!
Emma Essence says
Such a great salad to make for hosting or with friends! So glad you two loved it. Thanks for the review Rebecca!