Grilled Salmon with Orange Vinaigrette
and watermelon feta salad
This salmon gets a citrus-y note from our orange vinaigrette and you'll have enough for tomorrow night's dinner too. Our veggie members will be enjoying homemade baba ghanoush with pita. Paired with a watermelon and feta salad, this is the kind of summer meal you'll want to make over and over again.
Smarts: Vinaigrettes are not just for salads. In this case, we use it for a dressing and a fish marinade.
Ingredients
- Salmon - 1 1/2 lbs
- Homemade orange vinaigrette - 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp ((Ingredients listed separately))
- Shallots - 1/2 bulb, diced
- Orange juice - 1/4 cup
- Red wine vinegar - 2 Tbsp
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 1 Tbsp
- Dijon mustard - 2 tsp
- Honey - 2 tsp
- Olive oil - 1/4 cup
- Asparagus - 1 lb, ends trimmed
- Olive oil - 1 Tbsp
- Watermelon, seedless - 1/4, cubed
- English or Persian cucumbers - 1/3 lb, sliced
- Mint - 2 sprigs, sliced in a chiffonade
- Orange vinaigrette - ~1/4 cup ((Ingredients listed separately))
- Mixed greens - 4 oz ((Try arugula for a nice contrast to watermelon))
- Feta - 2 oz, crumbled
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Make orange vinaigrette - Dice shallots. Mix with orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon, and honey. Whisk in olive oil. (Can be done 3 days ahead)
- Marinate salmon - This makes enough for tomorrow. Pour first part of vinaigrette into a baking dish that can fit the salmon. Rinse and pat dry salmon, coat in vinaigrette, and leave non-skin side down. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Watermelon / Cucumbers / Mint - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
- Asparagus - Trim ends. Toss with cooking oil and some salt and pepper.
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Make
- Cooking asparagus and salmon on outdoor grill: Preheat grill to 500F (260C) degrees. Once grill hits 500F (260C), dip a paper towel into oil, and using tongs, rub paper towel against your grill grates. Transfer asparagus and salmon - skinless side down - to hot oiled grill grates. Rotate asparagus every minute - they should take anywhere between 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness. Flip salmon after 4 to 5 minutes. If you oiled the grates and started them off hot, the salmon will release without sticking. Cook salmon for another 3 to 5 minutes with the lid closed and remove from grill.
- Cooking asparagus and salmon in oven: Preheat oven to 425F (218C) degrees. Transfer asparagus to sheet pan. Roast salmon directly in pan with marinade for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on thickness (1 inch (2.5 cm) should take about 14 minutes). Salmon is done when the inside is no longer translucent (or just a little bit translucent, if you like your fish on the rarer side like we do). Add asparagus to the same pan towards the last 6 to 10 minutes of cooking (depends on thickness of spears).
- Toss orange vinaigrette with greens, watermelon, cucumbers, and feta. Sprinkle mint on top. Use remainder of the vinaigrette to drizzle over salmon and asparagus, but remember to save 1/3 of salmon for tomorrow night’s dinner!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
28 reviews
The salad was delicious, my favorite part by far. I over cooked the salmon (dang it) but it was still good.
0 HelpfulThe four stars are for the watermelon salad (almost as good without dressing as with the dressing!). The feta I used was a bit pungent -- I'd try a milder brand next time. The salmon was good but not nearly as flavorful -- maybe I needed to marinade it longer. Personal grill tip for next time: cook 5-7 minutes with the top down if you have a thick salmon -- the middle was undercooked.
0 HelpfulWe were still a little hungry after this dish, but the flavors were great. Clarification in the directions as to when to first put the asparagus in the oven may help some cooks.
0 HelpfulThe salad accompaniment was delicious! We really liked this meal. Grilled some fresh garden zucchini instead of asparagus.
0 Helpful