Smoked Salmon Arugula Quinoa Salad

No ratings yet

Smoked Salmon Arugula Quinoa Salad

This Smoked Salmon Arugula Quinoa Salad is healthy and flavorful! It's tossed with asparagus, almonds, and Parmesan vinaigrette dressing.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Cooling Time:15

Total Time45

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: smoked salmon quinoa salad, asparagus quinoa salad, quinoa salad vinaigrette,

Servings:

Calories: 205kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Equipment

Small Food Processor

Ingredients

For The Salad:

1 cup quinoa uncooked
2 cups water
1 lb. asparagus
2-3 packed cups arugula or baby arugula
3-4 oz. smoked salmon
½ cup slivered almonds or sliced almonds
1-2 lemons zest and juice

For The Dressing:

⅓ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. honey or maple syrup
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, can sub Asiago or Romano cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For The Salad:

Prepare 1 cup of quinoa according to package directions and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, but ideally for 30 minutes.
Wash and dry 1 lb. of asparagus. Trim the woody ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus spears into halves or thirds, depending on your preference.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the chopped asparagus and boil for 2-3 minutes.
After 2-3 minutes, transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water using a metal strainer or slotted spoon. Allow the asparagus to cool completely.
Place a colander in the sink and pour the chilled asparagus into it. Allow the asparagus to drain.
Cut 3-4 oz. of smoked salmon into chunks, making sure it is relatively the same size and thickness so that it distributes nicely throughout the salad.

For The Dressing:

Chop 2 cloves of garlic into chunks.
Grate a heaping ½ cup of Parmesan (can sub Asiago or Romano) cheese.
In a small food processor, add 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar), 2 chopped cloves garlic, 1 tsp. honey (or maple syrup), ½ tsp. each Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and pepper, and the heaping ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Pulse all of these ingredients a few times. Slowly add ⅓ cup of olive oil to the food processor, pureeing the dressing at the same time. The oil will emulsify as its added to the food processor, creating a smooth texture and all of the ingredients should be evenly incorporated.
Alternately, you can prepare the dressing in a mason jar. If using a mason jar, be sure to mince the garlic first and then add all of the ingredients into the jar. Place a lid securely on the jar and shake it vigorously until the ingredients are completely incorporated and the dressing emulsified.
Place the cooked and cooled quinoa into a large mixing bowl. Add the blanched and drained asparagus.
Add 2-3 heaping cups of arugula (or baby arugula) along with the diced smoked salmon and ½ cup of slivered (or sliced) almonds.
Pour a bit of the dressing into the salad at a time, making sure to stir all of the ingredients each time. Continue with the remainder of the salad dressing and stir until all of the ingredients are completely coated in the dressing and evenly distributed.
To Serve: Using a Microplane zester, grate the zest of 1-2 lemons over the salad and then cut the lemon(s) in half and squeeze the juice over the salad, being careful not to get any of the seeds in it.

Notes

1 lb. of green beans may be used in place of asparagus. Be sure to wash and trim the green beans before blanching and prepare just as you would the asparagus.

Any hearty greens may be used in place of arugula. Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or mustard greens are all great choices.

Nutrition