Middle Eastern Salmon and Lemon Kebabs
with avocado citrus salad
We featured these kebabs the week of 7/22/13 and it was time to bring them back. A simple Middle Eastern spice blend transforms salmon into a restaurant quality dish. Paired with a simple salad, this is a lovely fresh dinner that still warms for fall.
Smarts: If you can't find za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend, just mix up equal parts dried thyme, oregano, and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- Citrus (like grapefruit or oranges) - 2 to 3, segmented
- Shallots - 1 Tbsp, minced
- Dijon mustard - 1/2 tsp
- Red wine vinegar - 2 Tbsp
- Olive oil - 3 to 4 Tbsp
- Avocado - 1, sliced
- Salad greens - 1/4 lb
- Sliced almonds - for serving
- Skewers - 16
- Salmon - 1 1/2 lbs, cubed
- Lemons - 2, sliced thinly into rounds
- Oregano - 1/2 tsp
- Coriander - 1/2 tsp
- Za'atar (sub equal parts thyme, oregano, sesame seeds) - 1 tsp
- Cooking oil - 1 to 2 Tbsp
- Leftover lemon-garlic yogurt (from Mon) - ~1/2 cup
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Skewers - Soak in water.
- Salmon - Rinse and dry fish. Chop into 1" (2.5 cm) cubes (It's OK if some pieces can't be perfectly cubed. We'll just fold them over when skewering.). Toss with salt & pepper.
- Lemon - Slice as thinly as possible.
- Citrus - Supreme (that's just the fancy French word for segmenting orange slices, but if you use it, people will think you're so cool). (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
- Shallots - Mince. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Spice mix - Mix together oregano, coriander, and za'atar. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make
- Assemble each kebab with two skewers (When you use just one, ingredients often roll around, making it hard to flip efficiently). Alternate salmon cubes and lemon, folding lemon slice in half. Brush both sides with cooking oil and then sprinkle with spice mixture.
- Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add salmon kebabs and sear on both sides for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Whisk together shallots, mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. For more vinaigrette ideas, check out this video.
- Slice avocado. Toss vinaigrette with greens, citrus, and avocado. Top with almonds.
- Enjoy kebabs with Monday night’s lemon-garlic yogurt and salad on the side (BTW, you can eat the lemons!).
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
38 reviews
I don't have an outdoor grill so I tried it on my counter top one and it did not work great with cooking the kebabs evenly. Not the recipes fault but I would recommend cooking the salmon as a whole piece with the lemons and seasons on top if you do not have an outdoor grill. Also I would cut down on the shallots.
0 HelpfulGrilled these outdoors! Very yummy. I didn't have the yogurt sauce though, it would have been a welcome addition but I forgot.
0 HelpfulDidn't kebab to save time, but it was pretty good nontheless. I love salmon!! The yogurt sauce was surprisingly delightful with the kebabs as well. Donald wasn't a huge fan...
0 HelpfulSalmon fell off the skewers... dinner party disaster. For servings didn't feel all four of us.
0 Helpful