Color Explosion: Grilled Salmon with Beetroot, Tomato, and Red Bell Pepper Salad
This is what I call the “ideal summer lunch”: a perfect combination of fresh and nutritious ingredients, prepared in a simple, easy, deliciously juicy, and natural way, which is both, healthy and beautiful.
The beetroot, tomato, and red bell pepper salad add amazing color and life to the basic grilled salmon, and, together, they make a perfectly balanced meal that has all the good stuff of nature.
This great-looking summer lunch can be prepared in just 30 minutes because it doesn´t require much cooking time, just 15 minutes to grill the salmon and the prep time to chop up the salad, which is raw and preserves all the minerals, vitamins, and fiber of its fresh, plant-derived ingredients.
I´ve created this recipe as a summer lunch for two, you may divide or multiply the ingredients according to the number of people you are making it for.
I also included a “Green Walnut and Roquefort Salad” as an optional starter for a more elaborate lunch, which can be part of a complete menu when you want to do something a little bit more sophisticated or when you’re entertaining.
Cook Time for the Grilled Salmon and Side Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ready in: 30 min
Yields: serves 2 people 7 ounces of salmon
Ingredients for the Grilled Salmon
- 2 Salmon Fillets, (about 7 ounces or 200g each is a good portion size)
- Sea Salt & Pepper
- Garlic and herb-infused olive oil
- Dried dill
Instructions for the Grilled Salmon
- Place the salmon fillets in a non-stick baking tray.
- Condiment the salmon with sea salt, pepper, and dried dill.
- If you have it on hand, drizzle the salmon with some garlic and herb-infused olive oil for a little bit of extra oomph (I use the aromatized and very flavorful olive oil with Italian herbs that come with store-bought sun-dried tomatoes). If not, you can add just a bit of plain olive oil. Fresh salmon already contains a good amount of healthy fat that keeps it moist; it tastes delicious just like that, and it doesn´t need much added flavor.
- Grill the salmon for about 15 minutes in the grilling mode of your oven and it’s done!
NOTE: Grilled salmon should be lightly golden and crisp on the outside, while flaky, soft, and juicy on the inside.
Ingredients for the Beetroot, Tomato, and Red Bell Pepper Side Salad
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/3 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/6 beetroot, finely chopped (raw)
- 2 tbsp parsley, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp oleic oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 pinch of grated fresh ginger
Instructions for the Beetroot, Tomato, and Red Bell Pepper Side Salad
- For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, salt, pepper, and ginger; once the condiments have dissolved, add the oleic oil while energetically mixing with a mixing globe, this ensures that the oil will emulsify with the rest of the ingredients.
- Once the tomato, red bell pepper, beetroot, red onion, parsley, and cilantro are chopped, mix in a nice serving bowl.
- Dress the salad with the simple vinaigrette you made in step 1 and it’s done!
NOTE: the beetroot in this recipe is raw, which is why it’s incorporated in small quantities and finely chopped into very small pieces; you may also use cooked beetroot if you are so inclined. On the contrary, if you are used to eating raw food, you might even want to add some more beetroot, which gives the salad a very nice kind of sweet touch.
For a Complete Menu: Starter + Grilled Salmon with Side Salad
If you want to make your lunch a two-course meal, here is a fresh, easy-to-make first course that I suggest as a starter, which complements the main course of grilled salmon with beetroot, tomato, and red bell pepper salad.
It is a green-based salad with toasted walnuts and Roquefort cheese, again a very quick and easy-to-make dish as it requires almost no cooking time other than the 5 minutes it takes to toast the nuts (which you could also use raw).
Green Walnut and Roquefort Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups leafy greens mesclun of your choice (I used predominantly Boston lettuce in this one)
- 8 toasted walnut halves coarsely chopped
- 3 ounces Roquefort cheese
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Gently toast the walnuts over low heat in a pan.
- For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar with the salt & pepper; once the condiments have dissolved, add the olive oil while energetically mixing with a mixing globe (again, this procedure ensures that the oil will emulsify with the rest of the ingredients).
- Place the leafy greens mesclun in a nice serving bowl.
- Crumble the Roquefort cheese on top.
- Sprinkle with the coarsely chopped toasted walnuts.
- Dress with the simple balsamic vinaigrette and it’s done!
Healthy Eating vs Nutritional Facts Analyzing
It is natural for us humans to be concerned about our bodies, our overall health, and our body weight. This concern can sometimes cause us to be obsessed with calorie counting and measuring every bit of fat or sugar that goes into our mouth.
The truth is that no amount of calorie restriction and fat-free diets will ensure our well-being like a healthy, natural nutritional plan. The cleaner and more wholesome our eating habits are, the healthier, more efficient, and good-looking our bodies will be.
In what food is concerned, a varied diet regime full of raw fresh produce and natural sources of nutrients will go a long way in achieving the physical condition we want, and that is what we should be focusing on.
No matter the amount of fat or calories contained in this summer lunch, it will surely make your body work properly and use its nutrients in the right, efficient way to keep you healthy while gastronomically satisfied.
