We’ve completed two weeks of our 30-day challenge. Wooohooo!! We are on day 15 …just about the halfway point. Hope everyone is still hangin’ in and enjoying your new way of eating. I mean really, how can you go wrong with grilled asparagus & wild king salmon?
For today, I’d like to share a recipe with you that I’ve had filed away for years. Literally. As a matter of fact, I just checked the date on the clipping and it’s from an old magazine, Country Home dated May 2003! Like I said …I’ve had it for years. The author of the recipe, Chef Tom Douglas, offers us the perfect combination of grilled foods on a bed of baby spinach, topped off with the most delicious vinaigrette. The only changes I made to the recipe were the ones necessary to make the vinaigrette gluten-free and low-carb.
Let’s start at the beginning…
Begin by making the vinaigrette. That way the flavors will have a chance to blend while we finish up at the grill. The longer the vinaigrette sits, the better it tastes. As previously mentioned, I used San-J Gluten-Free Reduced Sodium Tamari in place of regular soy sauce along with San-J Gluten-Free Asian BBQ Sauce so that I could offer this dish to my gluten intolerant loved ones. Feel free to use regular sauces if you prefer.
Too much is way better than too little…
You will have quite a bit of dressing left over. Be sure to place it in an airtight jar and stash it away in the fridge for next time.
Let’s talk salmon…
If you want to create a dish that shines, the salmon that you choose will make all the difference. What you see pictured here is wild-caught king salmon, also known as chinook salmon. Typically, the best wild-caught salmon comes from the Pacific Ocean. Most of the commercially sold salmon from the Atlantic Ocean is farm-raised …not what I would normally choose.
Before grilling, be sure to oil the salmon well so that it doesn’t stick to the grill. A generous amount of salt and freshly ground black pepper is then applied.
Get that grill nice and hot…
The grill must be preheated so that the grates are smokin’ hot. Place the salmon on the hot grate, skin side up first. Don’t try to flip it until it’s ready …about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet.
The asparagus is grilled along with the salmon, at the same time.
Time to build your very own Grilled Asparagus & Wild King Salmon Salad…
After the asparagus and salmon cool slightly, build your salad by starting off with a layer of dressed spinach leaves. Then add the grilled asparagus that has been tossed with additional dressing. Then the salmon filet. Top that with a generous amount of vinaigrette and sprinkle the whole thing with some toasted sesame seeds. Serve with one or two lemon wedges on the side. Delicious!
grilled asparagus & wild king salmon with shallot-ginger vinaigrette
Adapted from Chef Tom Douglas
The perfect salad with a contrast of taste, temperature, and texture.
Ingredients
Shallot-Ginger Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
- 1/2 teaspoon stevia
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free asian bbq sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 1 pound fresh green and/or white asparagus
- 2 - 6 to 8 ounce boneless wild king salmon filets
- olive oil
- salt & freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- lemon wedges, for serving (if desired)
Instructions
Shallot-Ginger Vinaigrette
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In a small bowl combine vinegar, lemon juice, chopped shallots, tamari, grated ginger root, stevia, Asian bbq sauce and minced garlic. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil until emulsified.
Salad
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Preheat gas grill to medium heat.
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Wash asparagus, break off woody bases where spears snap easily. Measure the thickness of salmon. Brush asparagus and salmon with olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt & pepper.
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Place salmon and asparagus directly on grill rack over medium heat. The asparagus should be placed horizontally across the rack so that they don't fall through. Grill salmon for 4 to 6 minutes per side for each 1/2-inch of thickness. (Or, until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.) Grill asparagus about 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender, rolling the spears over to cook all sides.
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Just before serving, whisk the vinaigrette. In a large bowl, toss the spinach with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Divide the spinach mixture between 2 plates. In the same bowl, toss asparagus with another 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Arrange the asparagus on top of each plate of spinach. Place a salmon portion on top of each salad. Drizzle with 3 to 4 tablespoons of vinaigrette on each salmon serving and sprinkle generously with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Recipe Notes
If you want to increase the number of servings to 4 or 6, double or triple only the salad ingredients. There will be adequate vinaigrette to dress the additional servings.
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More grilled greatness…
This recipe looks so delicious. I love salmon and I try to include it in my weekly diet as much as possible since it has many nutrients vital for memory and brain.
Thanks, Maria. I feel the same way about salmon. It’s a regular in my rotation!
The asparagus look gorgeous! I have all these ingredients, so will probably make it for dinner tomorrow 🙂
Thank you so much! I love that you are making this right away!!
This made me so hungry! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’ll have to give it a try sometime.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing such a nice recipe, I’ll try it at home.
My pleasure!
WE love to eat salmon and get all those lovely omega 3’s in that yummy package. I can not wait to try your recipe.
Thanks, Jen. This is definitely a good one!!
This looks yummy! My boyfriend loves to grill, and we’ve been trying to incorporate more fish into our diet. This would be a good recipe for us to try.
Thanks, Jenn. Hope you’re able to give it a try!