Sometimes preparing a protein for an entree salad seems like such a difficult step. Why not forget the salad part and just eat this roasted chicken immediately? I oftentimes agree, but recently held out in order to prepare the most delicious salmon salad with cornbread croutons.
All of the ingredients come together in a savory, wholesome way and it’s worth the 8 minute roasting time. I realize that making the salmon is already a big step, so baking cornbread may seem out of the question. That being said you can skip the cornbread croutons or substitute store-bought ones. Jordan had made cornbread for chili the previous day, and I decided to recycle it in this salad.
Arugula Salad with Salmon and Cornbread Croutons
- 2 Salmon Fillets
- 5 oz Arugula
- 1 oz Mozzarella Bocconcini
- 12 oz Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in Halves
- 12 oz Cooked Quinoa
- Champagne Vinegar Dijon Vinaigrette (Recipe Below)
- Day-old Cornbread or Any Stale Bread
Champagne Vinegar Dijon Vinaigrette
- 2 Tsp Minced Garlic
- 6 Tbs of Champagne Vinegar
- 1 Tsp of Dijon Mustard
- 3/4 Cup of Good Olive Oil
- S + P
Directions
- Make the Croutons
- Preheat oven to 400F. Cut up stale bread in 1 inch cubes and drizzle with 3 tsp of olive oil and S+P. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
- Roast the Salmon
- Increase oven temp to 425F. Place fillets skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and top with S+P.
- Bake for 8 minutes or until opaque.
- In a large bowl, mix the arugula, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, quinoa and croutons.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
- Combine salad ingredients with vinaigrette. Top with warm, roasted salmon and enjoy!
The Gramercy Fox 
I don’t really know what to call my dietary habits. I think that I’m mostly vegetarian but I do consume animal products like milk, eggs, cheese… and on occasion I eat fish. My vegetarian lifestyle did not begin as a love of animals thing but, rather, a challenge to myself to see if I could do it. My fiancee was a vegan when we first got together and it made it super difficult for us to find places to eat. She was always really cool about finding things on the menu no matter what restaurant we went to- but it sucks to be the guy whose girlfriend can only eat salad. Eventually, when she became a vegetarian, so did I. Years later my vegetarian-esque lifestyle is pushed primarily by my hatred for how animals in the American food industry are treated.
All that being said, this Salmon recipe looks incredible.I’m not intimidated by the idea of making my own cornbread or my own croutons. My fiancee and I have actually been getting into bread making as a way to be in control of what we eat and, also, a way to save money. I’m excited about the challenge of the whole thing and I can’t wait to try it!
-III
http://www.amodernvillain.com
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