A while ago a friend took me to a trendy salad bar near her home. Rustic wooden tables filled the room and a counter at the far end sported a tempting array of tasty salad options. Smoothies were available, scoops of maca powder an extra 50p, and the teas on offer were made entirely from fresh ingredients, not a dried leaf in sight.
The menu was simple, giving some suggestions, or you could make up your own salad, choosing what you like, and piling it high in your box. To keep things simple I went for one of their suggested salads, the teriyaki salmon salad bowl. I was not disappointed. A fantastic combination of flavours and textures were included in the bowl and, as conversation flowed, I scrabbled around in my handbag for a scrap of paper and a pen, jotting the basic components down as I noticed them.
Shortly after that lunch winter set in, and the salad was forgotten. But the weather is picking up now. Suddenly, eating a salad seems like a good idea again. I pulled the scrap of paper out of my notes, got into the kitchen, and here’s what I came up with.
The best thing about this salad is that you can use just about any ingredients to suit your tastes. If you don’t have tender stem broccoli then swap it for calabrese, green beans or even peas. You could use cucumber instead of tomatoes, beetroot instead of carrots and even chicken instead of salmon. Just make sure that you use a good selection of salad ingredients to keep things interesting, and although all the toppings are optional, they really do add another layer of flavour, so do give them a go if you can.
You can easily buy teriyaki sauce, but I urge you to make your own. I’ve made sure that my recipe uses store cupboard ingredients, it only takes two minutes to throw together, and home-made tastes so much better than anything you can get in a bottle. I’ve also kept my dressing raw. Teriyaki sauce is often heated and thickened with corn flour, but I much prefer the flavour and texture of this fresh sauce. Its runniness (is that a word?) allows it to soak into the grains making sure that every bite is packed full of flavour making this a gorgeous, come back to again and again, salad.
Teriyaki Salmon Salad Bowl
Teriyaki Salmon Salad Bowl. If you are the kind of person who likes some punch to their food then this salad is for you.
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon finely grated fresh garlic
For the salad
- 4-6 stems tenderstem broccoli
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
- ½ yellow pepper cut into thin strips
- ½ red pepper cut into thin strips
- A handful of salad leaves
- 6-8 baby tomatoes
For the salmon
- 100-150 g salmon fillet**
- 1 teaspoon flavourless oil
For the base
- 250 g ready cooked grains*
For the toppings (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds
- Pickled (sushi) ginger
- Fresh coriander and mint finely chopped
Instructions
For the dressing
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the honey
For the salad
- Blanch the tenderstem broccoli in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes then drain and refresh under cold running water. Prepare the remaining salad ingredients as instructed above.
For the salmon
- Brush the oil over the salmon fillet. Preheat a griddle pan or non-stick frying pan for a few minutes until searing hot. Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, into the hot pan and leave to cook for a few minutes until the edges of the fish turn opaque. Gently flip the fish over and allow to cook for another few minutes until cooked through.
To assemble
- Divide the grains, then the salad ingredients, between the bowls. Place the fish in the centre of the bowls. Top with a pinch of nigella seeds, a few pieces of pickled ginger and a sprinkle of herbs. Serve with the dressing in a separate bowl or jug for each person to help themselves to.
Recipe Notes
* I used Merchant Gourmet Glorious Grains
**One or two fillets depending on their weight
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