Summery Hot-Smoked Salmon Salad Recipe
There is something so wonderfully satisfying about a big, hearty salad that is a complete meal in itself. When Mother Nature turns up the heat, salads offer a respite from spending hours over a hot stove or cranking up the oven. Summer is also the perfect time to celebrate the bounty of a productive garden or farmer's market loaded with the crops of the season. For me, it is also the time to celebrate Scandinavian midsummer traditions with family and friends. This summery hot-smoked salmon salad embraces all of these summer joys, featuring chilled salmon, baby potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, peppery garden greens, and seasonal veggies topped with a piquant mustard-dill dressing. The salad is crowned with golden pickled mustard seeds and red onions, plus crunchy rye crumbs for extra Scandinavian flair. Not only is this salad filled with a summer rainbow of colors, the beautiful array of textures and flavors will make this an entertaining favorite.
Although there is some cooking required in this recipe, it involves minimal time and effort and can also be done in advance. The pickled mustard seeds and onions, roasted baby potatoes, and hard-cooked eggs can all be completed in 30 minutes or less, and are best done at least a day in advance for proper chilling and flavor development. This recipe uses prepared hot-smoked salmon, but you can also prepare your own if you have a smoker handy.
Gather the summery hot-smoked salmon salad ingredients
At the heart of this salad is the hot-smoked salmon. Although gravlax is an important component in midsummer food celebrations, I prefer to use hot-smoked salmon in this recipe because of its flaky and firm texture, making it more sturdy for serving. You can typically find individual filet portions of hot-smoked salmon at your local grocer, or look for larger filets from specialty stores. For the salad greens and leaves, you will need baby arugula and radicchio, both of which have a wonderful peppery and slightly bitter flavor that stands up to the many elements in this dish. You will also need a bulb of fresh fennel, an English cucumber, small radishes, and snap peas for tossing in the salad. You will make a dressing from whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, granulated sugar, white vinegar, kosher salt, and canola oil. You will need fresh dill for both the dressing and for garnishing the salad. To make the pickled mustard seeds, you will need dried yellow mustard seeds, more white vinegar, sugar, and salt, plus a red onion for slicing. You will roast baby potatoes (any color is perfectly fine) in a bit of olive oil, and hard-cook a few eggs. The final garnishes include brined capers and rye cracker crumbs.
Step 1: Start the pickled mustard seeds and onions
To make the pickled mustard seeds and red onion, bring ¾ cup water, the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a simmer.
Step 2: Add the mustard seeds
Add the mustard seeds and reduce the heat to low.
Step 3: Simmer the seeds until tender
Simmer until the seeds are tender and plumped (about 30 minutes).
Step 4: Add the red onion
Stir in the red onion and bring back to a simmer.
Step 5: Cool the pickled mustard seeds and onions
Remove the pot from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Step 6: Chill the pickled mustard seeds and onions
Transfer the pickles to a glass jar and chill until ready to use.
Step 7: Start the dressing
To make the dressing, combine the mustards, sugar, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl, whisking to combine.
Step 8: Whisk in the oil
Whisk in the oil in a slow stream, allowing the dressing to emulsify.
Step 9: Add the dill
Mix in the dill.
Step 10: Chill the dressing
Transfer the dressing to a jar and chill until ready to use.
Step 11: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Step 12: Toss the potatoes with olive oil and salt
Halve the potatoes or leave whole if very small, then toss them with the olive oil and salt in a bowl.
Step 13: Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet
Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 14: Roast the potatoes
Roast the potatoes until golden brown and fork tender, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool (about 20 minutes).
Step 15: Toss the salad with dressing to coat
In a large bowl, toss the radishes, fennel, peas, cucumber, arugula, and radicchio with enough mustard dill dressing to coat.
Step 16: Transfer the salad to a serving platter
Transfer the salad mixture to a large shallow platter or serving bowl.
Step 17: Add the potatoes, salmon, and eggs
Top the salad with the potatoes, salmon, and eggs.
Step 18: Add the capers, dill, and rye crumbs
Sprinkle on the capers, dill sprigs, and rye cracker crumbs.
Step 19: Garnish with the pickled mustard seeds and onions
Garnish with the pickled mustard seeds and red onions (you will have extra that can be saved for another use).
Step 20: Serve the summery hot-smoked salmon salad and dressing
Serve the summery hot-smoked salmon salad with the remaining dressing on the side.
What can I serve with hot-smoked salmon salad?
Summery Hot-Smoked Salmon Salad Recipe
This bright, hearty hot-smoked salmon recipe features roasted potatoes, pickled mustard seeds, and plenty of veg in a salad that's a festival of summer flavors.
Ingredients
- For the pickled mustard seeds and red onion
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup yellow mustard seeds
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- For the mustard dill dressing
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- For the salad
- 1 pound baby new potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb
- ½ cup fresh snap peas, sliced on a diagonal
- ½ cup peeled and diced English cucumber
- 2 cups fresh arugula leaves
- 2 cups thinly sliced radicchio
- 8 ounces hot-smoked salmon, broken into bite-sized pieces
- 4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
- 2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill sprigs
- 3 tablespoons rye cracker crumbs
Directions
- To make the pickled mustard seeds and red onion, bring ¾ cup water, the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a simmer.
- Add the mustard seeds and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer until the seeds are tender and plumped (about 30 minutes).
- Stir in the red onion and bring back to a simmer.
- Remove the pot from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the pickles to a glass jar and chill until ready to use.
- To make the dressing, combine the mustards, sugar, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl, whisking to combine.
- Whisk in the oil in a slow stream, allowing the dressing to emulsify.
- Mix in the dill.
- Transfer the dressing to a jar and chill until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Halve the potatoes or leave whole if very small, then toss them with the olive oil and salt in a bowl.
- Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roast the potatoes until golden brown and fork tender, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool (about 20 minutes).
- In a large bowl, toss the radishes, fennel, peas, cucumber, arugula, and radicchio with enough mustard dill dressing to coat.
- Transfer the salad mixture to a large shallow platter or serving bowl.
- Top the salad with the potatoes, salmon, and eggs.
- Sprinkle on the capers, dill sprigs, and rye cracker crumbs.
- Garnish with the pickled mustard seeds and red onions (you will have extra that can be saved for another use).
- Serve the summery hot-smoked salmon salad with the remaining dressing on the side.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 804 |
| Total Fat | 59.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 180.4 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 46.1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 20.3 g |
| Sodium | 990.9 mg |
| Protein | 23.2 g |
How else can I use the pickled mustard seeds and red onions?
Pickled mustard seeds are an easy and unique condiment that I try to have on hand in my refrigerator at all times. Not only are they easy to make, but they will last for a couple of weeks if chilled and stored properly (if they stick around that long). You can prepare the pickled mustard seeds and keep them plain, or add in the onion component (shallots or sweet onions are also delicious additions). If you want to further switch up the flavor, try adding dried herbs or spices, such as caraway or dill seed. If you want to use fresh herbs, keep those out of the main batch and just add them into the amount you want to use for serving at a particular time. This helps to prevent spoilage while storing your prepared seeds. You can also try different flavors of vinegar, such as champagne or apple cider vinegar, for a slightly different flavor outcome.
Pickled mustard seeds and red onions are wonderful on sandwiches, tucked into omelettes, or used as a topping for grilled chicken or pork. They can be mixed into potato, tuna, or egg salad, and are a tasty addition to chilled, creamy summer soups. They also make a fun "faux caviar" topping for deviled eggs or seared scallops.
How do hot and cold smoked salmon differ? Are they interchangeable in this recipe?
The terms hot and cold smoking refer to the temperature at which salmon is treated in a smoker. With cold smoking, the temperature does not go above 85 F, but in hot smoking the salmon is smoked at 145 F. Cold smoking relies on a salt and sugar brine or dry cure mixture to "cook" the flesh of the salmon. This brining period is typically much longer than that of the hot smoking process and results in a silky and soft-textured fish with a delicate smoky flavor. Hot-smoked salmon has a shorter brine or dry-rub time and takes on more intense smoke flavor because it is cooked at a higher temperature. This method results in flaky and firm fish, similar to a poached or pan-fried salmon.
Although I love the luxurious flavor and texture of cold-smoked salmon, this recipe is much too hearty and packed with sturdy ingredients that would cause the salmon to get lost and broken down in the finished salad. The hot-smoked salmon is easier to flake into bite-sized chunks, and its stronger smokehouse flavor helps it to stand out and pairs better with the other assertive flavors in the mix.