Summer Lemon Kale Salad with Brined Salmon

Summer Lemon Kale Salad with Tuscan Kale

If you are here for the vegan version of this lemon kale salad recipe, please scroll to the section right above the recipe card! This recipe was once a vegan Tuscan kale salad with roasted sweet potatoes. While I did like that recipe, it was time for a serious update.

I am no longer a vegan and want all my recipe blogs to be more nutritionally balanced. This recipe now includes more than just Tuscan kale and potatoes. I added healthy protein-rich salmon, delicious calcium and healthy fat from the feta cheese, and probiotics from the yogurt in the dressing.

If you are still interested in making a vegan salad, I’ve got you covered! See the last section of this blog post.

Salmon Salad with Lemon and Baby Kale

This salad is simple to make, and it starts with good ingredients. I suggest using organic kale and baby kale in this recipe since you probably want it to be the best for gut health.

Conventional kale can be a very dirty crop, so it’s better to go with organic for most leafy greens. I get my baby kale and Tuscan kale from Whole Foods Market.

I also want to emphasize using freshly squeezed lemon juice. I’ve used bottled lemon juice in this recipe before, and it was okay, but it wasn’t as good as fresh squeezed.

Here are all the salad base ingredients you need:

• Tuscan kale
• Baby kale
• Grape tomatoes
• One large sweet potato
• Feta cheese

Here is what you need for the dressing

• Yogurt
• Tahini
• Lemon Juice
• Extra virgin olive oil

Salmon Lemon Kale Salad

The star of the show in this salad is the brine-marinated salmon. You only need to marinate it for about 15 minutes before cooking, but it can go longer.

I instruct you to cube the salmon in this recipe, so you should go with a “BBQ cut” of salmon. It’s a thicker cut than a filet, which makes it easy to cube.

Here is everything you need for the salmon:

• 1-2 pounds BBQ-cut salmon
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• fermented vegetable brine (I used sauerkraut brine, you only need three tablespoons)
• fermented garlic (or any garlic)

Summer Lemon Kale Salad

Jon and I have been enjoying this lemony kale salad all summer! The bright citrus flavor makes it light yet filling on those hot summer evenings.

I like to pair it with an ice-cold glass of sauvignon blanc for dinner. While this recipe is relatively easy, it takes a bit of multitasking to make it in 30 minutes. You can complete many steps while the sweet potatoes cook in the oven.

For a Vegan Option, Make This a Kale Chickpea Salad

If you found this blog on Pinterest and want to make the vegan kale salad with crispy baked sweet potatoes, you can still use this recipe! You need to make a few minor substitutions:

• Hold the grilled salmon and use roasted chickpeas instead
• Sub the feta cheese for this vegan feta cheese
• Sub the yogurt for vegan yogurt

Salads & Sides

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Summer Lemon Kale Salad with Brined Salmon

Try this fresh and nourishing lemon kale salad with brine marinated, succulent grilled salmon, crispy baked sweet potatoes, and crumbly feta cheese. This dish was inspired by my favorite lemon kale Caesar salad and is made with baby kale, sauteed Tuscan kale, and the best from-scratch lemony dressing. This summer kale salad is ready in just 30 minutes and can be prepared vegan.

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• Prep: 10 10
• Cook: 30 min 30 minutes
• Total: 40 min 40 minutes

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Ingredients

For the salad:

• 5 cups chopped Tuscan kale
• 4 cups fresh baby kale
• 1/2 cup Grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1/4 cup Feta cheese

For the Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Tahini
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

For the salmon:

• 2 pounds BBQ cut salmon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper
• 3 tablespoons fermented vegetable brine
• 1 tablespoon fermented garlic, minced

Instructions

1. For the vegan recipe option, see the blog section above this recipe.
2. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and cube the sweet potato, toss in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Roast for 15 minutes. Toss the potatoes and roast for 10-15 minutes until lightly crispy.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, remove the skin from the salmon, and cube the salmon. Add it to a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, fermented vegetable brine, and garlic. Let the salmon marinate for 15 minutes.
4. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok, and lightly sauté the Tuscan kale for about 1 minute. Remove the kale from heat and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients, and set aside.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the salmon on both sides until slightly brown and crispy. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes; flip the salmon pieces, then cook for three more minutes.
7. Add the salmon, roasted sweet potatoes, and the dressing to the salad, toss to combine, and serve.

Notes

• to make this recipe vegan, see notes above the recipe card

Kaitlynn Fenley Food Microbiologist and Fermentation Specialist

Kaitlynn is a Food Microbiologist and FSPCA-certified fermentation specialist. An alumna of the LSU College of Science, she combines her academic background in microbiology with her Cajun heritage to create safe and delicious recipes.

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