Grilled Salmon Salad With Lime, Chiles and Herbs
Published June 2, 2020
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 limes
2 small fresh red or green chiles or 1 large one, thinly sliced, seeds removed if you like
1 shallot (or 2 scallions, or 2 tablespoons red onion), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Kosher salt
Pinch of granulated sugar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil, plus more for brushing
1 ¼ pounds salmon fillet, preferably 1 large center-cut piece
8 cups salad greens, such as Little Gem, bibb or Boston lettuce
1 cup mixed soft herbs (such as cilantro, mint and basil), leaves and tender stems
1 cup thinly sliced radishes, cucumbers or both (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
19 grams carbs; 78 milligrams cholesterol; 495 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 34 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 888 milligrams sodium; 33 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Light the grill for indirect heat, or heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Step 2
As the grill or oven heat up, make the dressing: Halve 1 lime, and squeeze its juice into a small bowl. Add the chile slices, half of the sliced shallot (save the rest for serving), the fish sauce and a pinch each salt and sugar. Let sit for 1 minute to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the olive oil. It won’t emulsify, so mix again before using.
- Step 3
Brush the salmon with oil, and place it in a grilling basket if you have one. Cook over the indirect (unlit) side of the grill, for 2 to 5 minutes per side, depending on how hot the grill is and how thick the salmon is. Note that individual fillets will cook faster than a single large piece. Check the salmon often. (Alternatively, roast the salmon on a baking sheet in the oven, until just cooked to taste, 7 to 12 minutes; you don't have to flip it.)
- Step 4
As the salmon cooks, halve the other lime. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and grill, cut-side down, over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute. If using the oven, throw the halves, cut-side up, on the roasting pan with the salmon. They won’t char, but they will cook and mellow in flavor, which is the aim.
- Step 5
When the salmon is cooked, transfer it to a plate and spoon some dressing over it. Let it cool slightly, then break up the fish into large chunks.
- Step 6
Place greens, remaining shallots, herbs, and radishes or cucumber, if using, in a large shallow bowl or on a platter, and add a little more of the dressing. Squeeze some of the juice from a charred lime half over it and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss and taste, adding lime juice, olive oil or salt as needed.
- Step 7
Top with the salmon chunks and drizzle with more (or all) of the dressing. Serve with the remaining charred lime half on the side for squeezing.
Private Notes
Comments
Except for those of us who like the crispy salmon skin. Anyway, my method, which is over charcoal is.......take straight out of the fridge and put on direct hot fire. Turn once. Because it was cold when started, it gets crispy on the Outside but remain rare on the inside. Oh....make sure you have lots of wine handy while cooking!
My husband is expert with salmon on the grill, but we prefer a steak of about 1 lb. He uses two oiled wire cake racks to sandwich the steak making it easy to flip and eliminating the sticking to the grill. When he brings it in we use a fork to run along the wires to free the steak, place a plate on it and flip it. Repeat with the fork to free the second cake rack.
Ok, no grill, nice canned salmon, lots of fresh herbs; a delicious Summer salad when cooking is the last thing you feel like doing.
It was pretty good, esp as a vehicle for leftover grilled salmon. The dressing was a little bitter. Not sure what that was about.
We printed this recipe out during COVID, but didn’t manage to make until tonight, June 2026. WOW. A few modifications that others might want to consider: (1) we soaked a cedar plank all day so we could plank it, and not use indirect heat on the grill—the plank is effectively indirect heat and nothing sticks to make a mess; (2) we used wild king salmon, over alternatives, although we’re sure that the alternatives would work; (3) we brined the salmon in a kosher salt/sugar solution for about an hour outside the refrigerator (note: we ALWAYS brine salmon); (4) we added avocado to the salad—yummy; (5) we cooked the piece so that the middle still needs some cooking for leftovers this week and hived off the perfectly cooked pieces on the sides; We also note that this is a grilled cousin of Melissa Clark’s Vietnamese Caramelized Salmon from her (fantastic) DINNER cookbook, which has been one of our go-to recipes for years (but in colder weather); both are fabulous, and we love having a grilled alternative.
It was... fine. Like most NYT recipe, light on spices. I would suggest doubling the lime juice and be generous with the chile pepper, or use a Scotch Bonnet.