Smoked Salmon Salad

Name: Smoked Salmon Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Jewish Food
Ingredients: 12 cups arugula, washed and dried well; 1 (8-ounce) package sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 cup plain bagel chips, broken into bite-sized pieces; 5 small sprigs, fresh dill, torn into pieces; 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved; 1 small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced; 3 tablespoons capers, drained; ¼ cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper

Author:
Jamie Geller
Publish date:
Jun 19, 2012

I am going to breakdown the salad ingredients here and give you the “WHY” of each:

12 cups arugula, washed and dried well

I absolutely adore arugula. A nice change from standard lettuce, it has a delicate peppery bite and is excellent in salads, on pizzas, tossed with potatoes, and more. If you are new to arugula or find it too bitter consider tempering its bite by tossing together with salad greens of your choice.

1 (8-ounce) package sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces

I like smoked salmon off a bagel. I of course love me a SS + CC bagel but when I don’t want a heavy meal I toss smoked salmon pieces into green lettuce and rice salads. In Israel we don’t have kani so I always make this Sushi Salad with smoked salmon flakes and have my friend Miri to thank for the idea.

1 cup plain bagel chips, broken into bite-sized pieces

A little crunch goes a long way. These can of course be whole wheat or everything flavored or even homemade, whole wheat, everything croutons. I have this thing against store bought croutons and would rather not eat a crouton if I didn’t make it. I use all my leftover challah (scraps are fine) to make croutons and feel uber thrifty and super satiated when I do.

5 small sprigs, fresh dill, torn into pieces

Do not underestimate the power of a little green. Fresh herbs bring such vibrancy, beauty and a bevy of health benefits to your plate. Dill of course perfectly complements the flavors here but a bit of parsley thrown in, in addition, never hurt anyone.

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

We buy one to two LARGE cartons of grape tomatoes per week in our house. I love red, yellow, orange, and chocolate covered cherry tomatoes which are rich mahogany in color and have a strong tomato tang. Make sure to halve them lengthwise – much prettier that way.

1 small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

Red onion - because it’s milder, sweeter and more beautiful than yellow. Perfect for eating raw, I like to slice mine paper thin.

3 tablespoons capers, drained

This pickled berry provides a pungent burst of flavor perfect for cutting the rich fatty salmon.

¼ cup olive oil + 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar + 1 teaspoon kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper

Tied for my favorite simple dressing on earth, it’s only rival: EVOO + lemon juice + salt.

Finally, serve your Smoked Salmon Salad with lemon wedges so folks can squeeze just before eating. Sure to brighten your dish and your day. :)

10minDuration
10minPrep Time
6Servings

Ingredients

12 cups arugula, washed and dried well
1 (8-ounce) package sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup plain bagel chips, broken into bite-sized pieces
5 small sprigs, fresh dill, torn into pieces
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons capers, drained
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, salmon, bagel chips, dill, tomatoes, onions, and capers and toss lightly.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat evenly with dressing. Divide between 6 plates or bowls and serve immediately