greek salmon and kale orzo caesar salad with whipped feta dressing
Tuesday night salads with a simple yet top-notch flavored Greek Salmon and Kale Orzo Caesar Salad. Warning: the dressing is obscene and might make you scream curse words upon first taste. If you’ve a propensity for swearing with joy.
This is one of the easiest salads you’ll ever encounter. Caesar salads usually are quite minimalist with their predictable yet classically charming array of croutons, crisp romaine, shaved parmesan, and an egg- and anchovy-based dressing scented with fresh lemon.
As a kid, we’d often celebrate birthdays at the same restaurant, and when I was especially young I was forbidden my own whole salad and had to forage off one of my parents’ plate. I hit real man’s status when I was finally permitted an entire salad of my own, and I near always opted for the Caesar since I didn’t know how to love vegetables yet and I drowned everything in dressing, with a blissful ignorance to calories and the fact that Caesar contains raw egg and anyone in the health community who harbors a fear of salmonella would likely start screaming my habits.
I maintain some tradition in this salad with a hint of anchovy paste in the dressing, but steered from the whole egg conundrum. I promise, the dressing does not miss the egg one bit. Instead of Parmesan I offer feta to nod at Greek flavoring, and avoid over-embellishment of the salad itself. The herby baked salmon paired with the dressing is sassy enough, and the soft orzo heightens the dish from side to main.
Caesar’s First Steps
Set the oven to preheat at 425 degrees and prep a baking sheet with parchment.
First real order of business is cooking the orzo. I start here to let the excess moisture from the orzo drain in a colander over the sink, avoiding soggy kale in the finished salad. Follow the package directions, drain, rinse under cool water to halt the cooking, then let it drip dry while you do the rest.
Whisk up the salmon rub: paprika, oregano, parsley, basil, dill, and lemon juice. Give the filets a light massage in olive oil, then a deeper, more sports massage-like patdown with the seasoning blend. Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Let’s Play Dress-Up
El final: the Whipped Feta Dressing. It’s unbelievably good, I couldn’t help but fling my hair over my shoulder upon my first taste. Since throwing together this dinner, I’ve used it as a drizzle for many a lunch wrap and sandwich, on top of giving leftover salad a generous glob to input some ole razzle dazzle in the leaves.
If you’ve a food processor or high-speed blender, primo. Whip together feta cheese, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley(the giver of the green hue), anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, garlic, and a skosh of salt and pepper, to taste. I ended up streaming a tablespoon of water into the food processor to thin the dressing out a bit, but if you like a thicker, more dip-like texture, feel free to keep it as is once the ingredients are properly blended up.
Caesar’s Last Steps
Assemble that shit, ya’ll.
Start with a big bed of greens and the orzo. Take some tongs and toss both together until relatively even in distribution. Sprinkle some green olives (or kalamata, if you prefer) around the perimeter and arrange avocado slices in the middle.
You can plate individual portions of salad at this point and finish each with shaved Parmesan, a salmon filet, and as much dressing as you want. Or, if you want to impress your guests (or yourself) with a platter, set the salmons across the salad in some sort of aesthetic fashion, add the thin wafers of Parmesan, and dollop just a few blips of dressing and leave the rest for everyone to help themselves.
If you’re entertaining a few over a slow weekend, or need a fast but healthy meal on the table ASAP on a busy weeknight, turn to this salad. Pasta fills the tummy, salmon builds the muscles, dressing lights the soul. A combo worthy of any cook, I’d claim.
While you work, treat yourself to a Smoky Peach Thyme Bourbon Twist, because why not?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
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Lemon Pepper Smoked Salmon Wrapped Asparagus Salad with Turmeric Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 4-6 oz filets salmon
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 6 cups baby kale, or greens of choice
- 1 avocado, quartered
- 1/2 cup green olives
- shaved parmesan, for serving
whipped feta dressing
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, oregano, parsley, dill, dried basil, rosemary, and lemon juice. Rub salmon filets with a drizzle of olive oil, then pat on the seasoning blend. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes.
- To make the dressing, add feta, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, anchovy paste, mustard, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor or high speed blender. Whip until creamy, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if the dressing needs to be thinned. Pour dressing into a jar.
- To assemble the salad, toss kale, or choice greens, into a large serving bowl with the orzo. Arrange avocado slices and olives into the greens. Place salmon filets on top and shred fresh Parmesan all across the salad, as desired. Drizzle with a touch of dressing, leaving the rest for serving. If you intend to have leftovers, store the dressing separate from the assembled salad.
