Riced Broccoli Salad With Salmon Recipe

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On a recent trip to Tampa, Florida, my colleague and I were recommended a visit to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room, a prestigious, moody, reservation-only restaurant serving a vast selection of sweet, unique desserts. Understanding that we couldn't begin the night with cake, bourbon, and ice cream, we inquired for a place to dine prior to the dessert room experience. The room is situated above a high-end, supper-club style steakhouse, but we weren't in the mood for steaks. Luckily for us, the steakhouse's more casual sister, Haven, is located right down the street and can reserve diners access to the Dessert Room upon request. We settled in and browsed the menu, which was full of unique, shareable options. One in particular that stood out to us was a surprise: a spinach salad filled with fried Brussels sprouts.

The salad we ordered that night was as beautiful as it was delicious — a medley of purples and greens topped with edible flowers, finely chopped Brussels sprouts, toasted pine nuts, and ricotta salata. I knew then that I needed a salad in my repertoire to remind me of this one, even if I couldn't recreate it exactly. Skipping the sprouts and instead boasting purple kale and microgreens, garlicky riced broccoli, savory ricotta salata, flaky seared salmon, and a light and citrusy dressing, this riced broccoli salad with salmon recipe is my version of that pretty purple salad; and it's one that works well in any weather, be it cloudy Cleveland or sunny Tampa Bay.

For the citrus dressing, you'll need champagne vinegar (or one its swaps, like white wine vinegar), olive oil, maple syrup, the juice from about 2 oranges, Dijon mustard, salt, and vinegar. For the salad itself, you'll need purple kale, broccoli florets, pine nuts, ricotta salata, microgreens, salmon, and a few ingredients to cook the broccoli and salmon, like olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients vigorously until emulsified.

Add chopped kale to a large bowl.

Add broccoli florets to a food processor. Pulse until crumbly and finely chopped.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet.

Add the riced broccoli and stir until broccoli turns bright green and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and garlic and combine until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In another skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn. Once toasted, set pine nuts aside to cool slightly.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.

Pat the salmon dry and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Add the salmon to the skillet and sear on either side until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove the salmon from the heat.

Flake the salmon into 1-inch pieces with a fork.

Add the riced broccoli and dressing to the bowl with the kale. Toss to combine.

To finish assembling the salad, sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts, ricotta salata, and flaked salmon. Top with microgreens and serve.

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If you're a kale fanatic like me, you might have noticed that there are several types of kale in the produce section of the grocery store. While most stores don't carry all 13 types of kale, many do carry at least a few, sometimes changing them seasonally throughout the year. The most recognizable is standard, curly green kale, and you may have stumbled upon the ultra-wrinkly lacinato here and there. Both work in this recipe as replacements to purple kale, which can sometimes be harder to source depending on your location. When looking for purple kale, look first for its color. The leaves will be tinged purple and the stems will be a brighter or deeper purple color. The name may either be simply "purple", or may also be referred to as "red", "scarlet", or "redbor" kale. The color is what gives it away, and the curly texture differentiates it from red-leaf lettuce.

Purple (or red) kale is only subtly different in flavor than green or lacinato, which can be swapped in this recipe. You can also use Romaine lettuce, or, like my original recipe inspiration, you can swap in spinach instead. For a more bitter flavor, you can try Swiss chard, or swap the leafy green out completely and opt for chopped Brussels sprouts instead.

This salad is designed to be served with the salmon already cut and tossed into the kale, similarly to a chopped salad that has all the components already combined together. If you prefer your salad to be a little less combined (or you are planning to save, store, and reheat a portion later), you can serve the salmon as individual portions alongside the salmon, rather than flaked throughout. To do this, slice the salmon into 4 to 6 ounce portions before drying, seasoning, and searing.

To serve, divide the salad between plates or bowls and place the salmon filets on top. This method works well if making this salad ahead as a meal prep. With the salmon cooked in individual portions, you can store each in a separate container from the salad and reheat before combining. This way, you can either flake the warm salmon into the salad or serve as a filet alongside it without needing to heat the salad components (or eat the salmon cold).

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