Grilled Salmon, Watercress, And Pea Salad Recipe

While the idea of topping a salad with grilled salmon is nothing new, making that salad out of potatoes, peas, and watercress rather than lettuce is something you don't see on too many restaurant menus. The combo certainly does sound spring-like, though, and recipe developer Jennine Rye describes this as "a delightful and simple salad recipe that can be enjoyed either warm or cold."

Rye also points out how healthy this salad is. The salmon itself is full of heart-friendly omega-3s (leave the salmon skin on for extra nutrients), while the vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and roughage. Even the creamy dressing, something that Rye says "brings the flavors of the dish together really well," is lightened up by mixing mayonnaise with yogurt. Rye says she doesn't use high-fat Greek yogurt, either, but prefers to use regular yogurt, instead. You could really use any kind of yogurt you have on hand, though, as long as it's plain-flavored in order to allow the dill, lemon juice, and other dressing ingredients to stand out.

For the salad itself, you will need salmon, baby potatoes, frozen peas, watercress, and black olives, plus some olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemons. To make the dressing, you'll also need yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, dill, and capers.

If you can't find capers (or just don't care for them), Rye tells us, "You'll want to substitute them with a similar [briny] ingredient ... anchovies, chopped green olives, or finely chopped pickles make worthy substitutes."

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Drizzle the raw fish with olive oil, then season it with salt and pepper to taste. Top it with the sliced lemon, then cook it for 12 minutes until the flesh flakes easily.

Boil a pot of water, then cook the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until they're tender. Once you can stick a fork into them, drain off the water. If any of your potatoes are on the large side or you've had to substitute bigger potatoes for baby ones, you can cut them into smaller pieces once they've cooled down a bit.

Cooking frozen peas is even easier. Just boil some more water (you could even reuse the hot potato water if you want to be environmentally friendly), then soak the peas for 3 to 4 minutes until they start floating. At this point, you should drain them so they don't get too soft.

Spread the watercress over a plate or plates, then top it with the potatoes, peas, and olives in this order. Flake the salmon and sprinkle it over the olives. Mix the yogurt with the mayonnaise, mustard, dill, capers, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of pepper, then pour this dressing over the salad.

If you're hungry for salmon salad right away, you can go ahead and eat it warm, or you can stick it in the fridge and eat it cold when you're ready. Rye says that it should be good in the refrigerator for up to 3 days as long as you store it in something airtight.