Really, if I’m being honest, the star of this recipe is the dressing. And the secret ingredient? Nothing more than a teeny little dollop of mayo! Adding a bit of mayonnaise (about a teaspoon for this recipe for two salads) to any oil/vinegar dressing will help emulsify the ingredients, so the oil and vinegar don’t separate. In the case of this dressing, lemon juice is used instead of vinegar, but it separates in a similar way. Try it with a balsamic vinaigrette, or a simple red wine vinegar/olive oil mixture. I picked this tip up from my cousin, who made a dressing with a bit of mayo, some fresh dill, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil a few Christmases ago.
I like to make the dressing before assembling the salad to let the flavors marry a bit. Just whisk together the mayo, lemon juice, kosher salt, and a bit of fresh minced garlic (just a little- you don’t want to overpower the dressing with raw garlic flavor). While whisking, gradually add olive oil. Whisk vigorously until the dressing is a uniform, creamy consistency. Test it out and make sure there’s enough salt- and try not to lick the entire bowl before making the salad! Next, build your salad. I often use this dressing on a simple arugula salad with nothing else as a side- arugula has such a unique flavor that it stands on its own quite well. Next time you need a simple side for a meal, try it out. THIS salad is a whole meal, and includes arugula, goat cheese, and cold cooked salmon, which flakes into perfect salad pieces with a fork. It’s perfection.
Hate mayo? Don’t worry- you can make this dressing without it. Just make sure you give it a vigorous whisk right before drizzling onto the salad, as the ingredients will tend to separate a bit more.
Love salmon? Try these other easy recipes:
Garlic Butter Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies 15-Minute Perfect Poached Salmon with Chive Butter Orange Glazed Salmon Salmon, Arugula, and Feta Frittata One-Pan Garlic Butter Salmon and Swiss Chard Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema Seared Salmon with Scallion Butter Seared Salmon with Avocado, Lemon, and Garlic Aioli Garlic Poached Salmon with Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce
Recipe below! The portions are for 2 entree salads, or 4 appetizer/first course salads. A word to the wise: the proportions are VERY forgiving in both the recipe and the salad. It’s foolproof. Don’t go crazy measuring things exactly, and make sure you test the dressing to see if it has enough salt, or if it tastes too acidic just add more olive oil.
