Poached Salmon Revisited {Recipe}

Over the summer, I shared a recipe for Poached Salmon with Peaches – a quick and easy, Nutritioulicious dish that was seasonally appropriate for the hot weather months. It was so well-liked that I often repeated the recipe throughout the summer. I decided to revisit this recipe now that the fall is here. With the cool, crisp air of autumn comes some delicious, and certainly nutritious, fruits and vegetables like pears, oranges, and spinach. I had already decided to trade peaches for pears, and then I happened to see Mark Bittman‘s NY Times Magazine article “The Other White Fruit” with different variations of pear salads. Taking a little inspiration from some of his recipes I recreated the poached salmon dish for last night’s dinner and it was a hit. The Cilantro-Shallot Dressing was also full of rich spice and flavor with cumin and coriander adding some zing. I think we have a new fall favorite recipe on our hands!

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Servings 4

Author Jessica Levinson

Ingredients

For Poaching:

• 1 lemon thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless salmon fillets 1 pound total

For Cilantro-Shallot Vinaigrette:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
• Handful chopped cilantro
• 1 small shallot minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For Salad:

• Baby spinach or baby spinach-arugula mix
• 1 naval orange divided into sections
• 1 small or 1/2 large Asian pear thinly sliced in half moons
• 1 small or 1/2 large red onion thinly sliced in half moons
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios

Instructions

Poach salmon:

1. In a medium pot, combine water, lemon slices and pepper; bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
2. Add salmon (water should just cover fish), cover, and cook until opaque throughout, 5 to 8 minutes. With a wide, slotted spatula, transfer salmon to a plate.

To serve:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, shallot, cumin, coriander, and salt and pepper. Season more or less to taste.
2. Divide spinach (or spinach-arugula mix), orange slices, pear slices, red onion, and pistachios among 4 plates. Top with salmon and drizzle with cilantro-sherry vinaigrette.

Do you like pears in your salad?