Protein-Loaded Salad: Maple-Glazed Salmon With Vibrant Zucchini Ribbons & Veggies

A plate of varied flavours and textures, with the salmon in the centre as the feature.
Photo courtesy of chefsplate.com

You are truly eating the rainbow with this dish. The fresh veggies perfectly complement the maple-glazed salmon, and you also get some crunch from toasted pepita seeds — one of my favourite salad toppers. 

This dish is available at chefsplate.com, too.

Maple-Glazed Salmon With Zucchini Salad Recipe

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 large zucchini
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp mustard
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 medium salmon fillets, skin on
  • 113 g canned corn (about half a can), drained and patted dry
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sliced chives
  • 113 g baby field greens (about half of a pre-washed bag)
  • 1 tbsp pepitas
  • 1 avocado, pitted and thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup (56 g) red cabbage, shredded
  • 4 to 6 (113 g) baby heirloom tomatoes, cut into halves and seasoned with salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel zucchini lengthwise into long ribbons, rotating it as you go, until you reach the core. Pat zucchini ribbons dry with paper towels. Set aside.
  3. Add maple syrup, mustard and oil to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then whisk to combine. Transfer 1 tbsp glaze to a small bowl.
  4. Pat salmon dry with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon glaze from the small bowl over top of salmon. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10 to 12 min, until cooked throughly.
  5. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add about half of the corn, carefully swirling the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until corn is dark golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
  6. Add vinegar and half of the chives to the large bowl with the maple-mustard glaze. Whisk to combine. Add baby field greens and zucchini ribbons. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine.
  7. Over medium heat, use the same pan as in step 5. Add pepitas to toast them, stirring often, about 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Keep your eye on the pan so the seeds don’t burn. When ready, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then transfer to a plate.
  8. Divide zucchini ribbon salad between two plates. Arrange remaining corn, avocado, cabbage and tomatoes on plate in sections. (Flex your plating skills here.) Drizzle the veggies with any remaining dressing from the bowl. Top with salmon. Sprinkle pepitas and remaining chives over top. Serve.