Salmon Shawarma Salad - say that 10 times fast. Now imagine you have a slight lisp like me and try it again! Mega tongue twister - but also mega delicious!
If you've ever made my Chicken Shawarma Bowls, you know I'm not messing around when it comes to Shawarma. I'm obsessed. The marinade is simple and works on both chicken, fish and beef! Honestly it would work on veggies too if you wanted to make this vegetarian and use mushrooms. It's just a few ingredients like cumin, paprika and oregano in a zip-top bag with the salmon and into the fridge. The fish will be primed and ready to go within 2 hours. Those flavors from the marinade will soak into the fish and then give it a nice crispy crust once you grill.
Once you're fish is crispy on both sides, just mix it into a Kale Tabouli-ish salad base and dollop on some homemade Tzatziki! It's the perfect way to kick off the week after an indulgent weekend!! (guilty as charged!)
If you've never had Shawarma before, welcome to what is probably going to be your new favorite flavor combo! It's a Middle Eastern dish made of thin slices of meat that is traditionally roasted on a slowly-turning vertical rotisserie or spit. Usually it's lamb but chicken, beef, or veal are very easy to come by when you're traveling! Salmon Shawarma wouldn't work on the traditional vertical spit, but that doesn't mean you can't take those incredible ingredients from the marinade and turn it into a salad!! Let's do this!
Salmon Shawarma Salad
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 2 lemons, juiced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound salmon
For the Bowls
- 1 head shedded dinosaur kale
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 cup Tzatziki
- Homemade Pita Chips
- 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
For the Salmon
- In a large zip-top bag, combine the lemon juice, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano and red-pepper flakes. Add the salmon, zip the top of the bag and give it a quick shake to combine. Refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat a cast iron to medium high heat. Remove the salmon from the marinade and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy but not overcooked. Remove and set aside to rest.
For the Salad
- Transfer the salmon to a large bowl and toss to combine with the quinoa, parsley, mint, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers and lemon vinaigrette. (to make the lemon vinaigrette, just whisk everything together)
- Divide the shredded kale amongst 2 bowls and top with a hefty portion of the salmon tomato mixture. Drizzle with tzatziki or serve it on the side. Also pita chips on the side.
Made this tonight and it was a winner with everyone! I added a bit of feta. Delish! Thanks, Gaby!
This salad is so tasty! If you're looking for something fresh and filling at the same time, this is a great option. The little touch of mint really freshens everything up. Even my husband who doesn't like fish said this was a keeper.
I made this tonight as a hot bowl instead of a salad (stir-fried some peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and kale to replace the cold veggies) but left most everything the same and tossed it like that. Delicious hot too!
This was so delicious. All the bits were so flavorful. Sunday night is salmon night for us and I am delighted to have this salmon recipe as part of the repertoire. I added more herbs to the tzatziki for personal preference but oh my this was delicious. Thanks Gaby for sharing your recipes and making it easier to produce exceptional meals.
Such a great way to kick of 2022! Tons of flavor and a great weeknight bowl. Even my husband who isn’t a quinoa fan loved these. Definitely will make again!
I really enjoyed this salmon preparation. Question?? When or so you remove the salmon skin?
I have the same question- my salmon always has skin when I start to cook it!
This salad was stunning! Best thing I've had in a while. Restaurant quality and so easy. I forgot to marinate the salmon for 2 hours so just did it while I prepped everything else and it was so flavorful. THANK YOU!
We loved it! Love those spices on salmon.
We are having this week! So pumped. Question about marinating salmon. Can it go for longer than 2 hours to make it work for my schedule or is that too long? Or even over night?
If you marinate salmon for too long, the acids can make it mushy.
Super delicious! Will definitely make this again!
This is maybe my 3rd or 4th recipe I’ve made from you and this was SO GOOD. The only change was using farro instead of quinoa since I was out. The salmon was baby approved. Definitely a do-over in our house!
I made this and it was incredible. I used grouper instead and I think it’s our new favorite. I also made the hummus with the pita chips and tzatziki and it’s the best hummus we’ve ever had. I don’t think I can go back to store bought on either
Smoked salmon will work here too! Thanks for sharing your idea!
Oh snap! This is so full of flavors I am drooling!!!