Salmon and Asparagus Quinoa Salad with Cucumber

Ingredients

• 260 g salmon fillets
• 180 g cooked quinoa
• 300 g asparagus
• 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
• 150 g cucumber
• 10 g fresh dill
• 1.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 0.25 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and cut the spears into 3 cm lengths. Drop them into boiling water for 2 minutes, until they turn vivid green and bend without flopping, then lift them straight into cold water — this stops the cooking and keeps the colour.
2. Pat the salmon fillets dry and season lightly with half the fine sea salt. Cook them skin-side down in a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then flip for 2 minutes more, until the flesh flakes into big pieces under a fork.
3. Whisk the red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, grated garlic, remaining fine sea salt and half the lemon juice into a dressing that tastes noticeably sharp on its own — the quinoa will blunt it considerably.
4. Fork the cooked quinoa to separate the grains, then pour over two thirds of the dressing while it is still slightly warm. Warm grains drink up dressing; cold ones just get coated on the outside.
5. Halve the cucumber lengthwise, scrape out the watery seed core with a teaspoon and slice it into half-moons. Removing the core is what stops the salad going soupy after ten minutes.
6. Drain the asparagus well and fold it through the quinoa with the cucumber and most of the chopped fresh dill. Flake the salmon over the top in large pieces, spoon over the remaining dressing and lemon juice, and finish with the last of the dill.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories

509

Protein

34.7 g

Fat

28.4 g

Carbs

29.8 g