Making good use of the peppery green, this arugula salad is adorned with a turmeric-spiked vinaigrette, seasonal salmon fillets and a spicy cherry compote.
The salmon and cherry arugula salad recipe, photo, and tips below were shared with us by the Red Report.
Tart cherries are a little known superfood, ranking as a top food for sleep, pain-fighting, and muscle recovery according the book The Best Things You Can Eat by David Grotto, RD. They are often referred to as sour or pie cherries, and grow more easily than sweet cherry varieties.
Enjoy tart cherries…
- With Chocolate: Blend chocolate almond milk or dairy-free yogurt with frozen cherries for a quick pre- or post-workout beverage.
- With Nuts: For an easy trail mix snack, combine dried tart cherries, crystalized ginger, cinnamon, almonds, pistachios and whole-grain cereal.
- With Breakfast: Top granola, oatmeal, dairy-free yogurt or pancakes with fresh or dried tart cherries.
- With Greens: Toss grilled salmon, dried cherries and a dash of turmeric with salad greens (like the arugula salad that follows) for heightened flavor and pain-fighting nutrients.
Special Diet Notes & Options: Cherry Arugula Salad
By ingredients, this recipe is naturally dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free. If fish is an allergen concern or simply a dislike, you can serve this salad with grilled or roasted chicken.
For a vegan and vegetarian cherry arugula salad, simply omit the meaty protein, and if desired, top with grilled or roasted potatoes.
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 cups loosely packed arugula (about 3 ounces)
- ½ small head radicchio, cored and shredded
- 4 5-ounce salmon fillets, about ¾-inch thick
- 3 shallots, sliced
- ½ large jalapeño (halved lengthwise), seeded and thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 cups thawed frozen tart cherries
- 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ¼ cup tart cherry juice
- In large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, turmeric, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the arugula and radicchio, and toss. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and divide mixture among 4 plates.
- Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon and cook until barely opaque throughout, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Arrange the cooked salmon on top of the salads.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add the shallots and jalapeño to your skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cherries and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add the cherry juice; increase heat to medium-high, and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the juice is almost entirely evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the cherry mixture over the salmon and serve.
