Greek Salmon Salad with Creamy Dijon Dressing

(recipe serving size – 4 people as an entrée, 8 people as a starter dish)

For the veggies:

10 oz mixed lettuce (or your favorite leaf)

1/2 lb block of feta cheese, hand crumbled

1 English cucumber, cubed

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

12 artichoke hearts, drained, quartered and patted dry

Prepare the feta, cucumber, tomatoes and artichokes and store in the refrigerator until the fish is cooked.

For the salmon:

(*this portion of the recipe can be doubled if the salad is being prepared as an entrée and more fish is desired per serving)

1 lb salmon, cut into 2 filets 

1 tb olive oil

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Heat a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat. Drizzle the fish with the olive oil and sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper. Cook with the flesh side facing down for 4 minutes. Tent during the cooking process with aluminum foil. Turn the fish over and cook for another 2 minutes, untented.

Remove the fish from the heat. Set aside on a plate and let cool. Once cooled, cut the filets in half, leaving you with roughly 4 even pieces.

(*If this dish is being served as an entrée, do not cut the filets in half after they are cooked. Serve each filet as 1 fish portion)

For the creamy dijon dressing:

2 tb white wine vinegar

2 tb olive oil

2 tb greek yogurt (or mayonnaise)

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp chopped parsley

1 tsp chopped basil

1 tsp chopped mint

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Combine ingredients in a mason jar and shake until fully incorporated.

Bringing it all together:

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

For individual plating (primarily used if serving as an entrée), divide the lettuce amongst 4 bowls. Place equal amounts of feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and artichokes into 4 individual sections on top of the lettuce in each of the bowls. Gently place a single piece of fish in the center of each individual salad. Allow your guests to add crushed red pepper flakes and to dress their own portions.

For family style serving (primarily used if serving as a starter), place all of the lettuce into one large bowl. Add the feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and artichokes into 4 individual sections on top of the lettuce. Break the cooked salmon into hearty chunks and gently place the small pieces of fish in the center of the salad. Bring the bowl to the table to allow your guests to take a look before tossing the ingredients together. You can then dress the salad, toss to coat the components as evenly as possible and serve.

Creative Liberties:

There are quite a few renditions of this salad that you can make to suit your dietary needs. Here are just a few.

• There are other fish in the sea! Fish like tuna and its shell-wearing buddies shrimp, lobster and crab go wonderfully with this dish.
• Any non-fish protein will work. If you are not a fan of fish at all , substitute the fish for any other kind of protein. My recommendation either way would be to keep the seasoning simple (salt and pepper). The big flavors will come from the fresh ingredients and the vibrant dressing.
•  Vegetarians and vegans are welcome! If you do not eat meat or fish of any kind, omit it completely. And if you are vegan, substitute the yogurt with coconut milk. And instead of feta, cube up some firm tofu. The dish will still remain massively flavorful!