Crispy, spiced bite sized salmon tossed a simply dressed heirloom tomatoes, corn, and farro salad: this Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad is a weekly staple this time of year!!
Jump to Recipe
To me, one of the best parts about summer is the farmer’s markets. I love getting up late on a Saturday morning, getting a good cup of coffee, and walking around the market. Super wholesome, I know. But, really, there’s really nothing better than good summer produce from a farm. This time of year, I gravitate towards the heirloom tomatoes, fresh corn, and all the good herbs. Plus, my local market also has amazing locally sourced cheeses, like feta, goat, and burrata, and wild caught Alaskan salmon. So, surprise surprise, I knew I had to whip up a good salad with all these fresh ingredients before the summer ended. And, truly, this Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad did not disappoint.
the breakdown…
This Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad is truly the epitome of summer. Similar to in my Salmon Kabobs with Summer Squash and Pesto Vinaigrette, this recipe starts off by preparing the quick salmon bites. But, this recipe is a bit different. You see, this recipe calls for baking your bites, not grilling. So, while you might be wondering, “why can’t I grill my salmon for summer?.” Well, when you toss your salmon cubes into the blackening seasoning, I find that baking them on a wire baking rack is the best route to get that perfect little blackening crisp. With the rack, the heat is able to get to all sides of the salmon bites without having to flip them, which can sometimes get complicated. But, if you don’t have a wire baking rack, you could also just toss them directly onto the parchment and they should be fine — maybe just a little less crisp on the bottom! Really, though, with a good coating of oil and a little broiling, these salmon bites are out of this world crispy.
let’s talk blackening…
Speaking of that blackening, let’s talk about those spices. This blackening seasoning is a variation of my go-to recipe. Per usual, I go in with some smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. And, while I only sometimes throw cayenne into the mix, I truly think it brings a lot of good flavor to these bites and helps balance out the smokiness from the paprika. Oh, and I always add some dried herbs to the mix. The difference here is that I went with a whole 2 tsp of dried basil, as opposed to mixing it up with a few others. Personally, I love the congruency of the dried basil in the seasoning with the fresh basil in the salad… it just works!
With some good seasoning, and a tried-and-true method, your salmon should be good to go! While it’s baking, go ahead and prepare the rest of the salad. I like to start off most of my salads by preparing the dressing in the bottom of the bowl. If you’ve never read one of my salad posts before, this is because… A. It’s easier to toss everything together without making a mess… B. The salad gets evenly coated… and C. You save dishes. Plus, with this type of lettuce-free salad, you don’t have to worry about things getting soggy, so you could even prepare it this way if you were to make your salad ahead of time.
and a simple vinaigrette…
In this vinaigrette, I go with a simple combination of red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, dried oregano, and garlic. Really, this is one of the most simple vinaigrettes you will ever make. You’ve got some red wine vinegar for a little tang, some oil for smoothness, some honey for a touch of sweetness, some oregano for a little flavor, and some garlic to add in a kick. You could even throw red pepper flakes in there if you wanted to jazz it up! Honestly, I make this vinaigrette all the time, as it pretty much works for any summer salad. And, in this Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad, I like to leave the good flavors of the summer produce as the stars of the show. No need to go overboard with a crazy dressing — this one’s perfect!
With that simple vinaigrette ready to go, it’s time to toss in the bulk of it all. Heirloom tomatoes are really a star ingredient here. If you don’t love tomatoes, this isn’t the salad for you. But, being as tomatoes are one of my favorite foods (like in the entire world), I’m a big fan of using them as a base here — especially when they’re of the good summer heirloom variety. Next up, you’ve got to toss in a shallot for some bite, and some fresh raw corn. I love raw corn, and honestly think it’s often overlooked. I mean, yes, you could technically boil or char up your corn for this Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad. But, raw corn straight off the cob is actually one of the sweetest ways to eat it. No need to get all fancy with different techniques, unless you would like to.
all about the herbs!!
To that, you’ve got to go in with tons of fresh basil. Fresh herbs in salads is truly one of my all time favorite tricks. Really, whether you mix them into the dressing, you just toss them into the bulk of it, they bring so much freshness to any salad. Plus, they add for a great little texture that’s superb in a lettuce-less salad like this one. Then, you’ve got to go in with the cheese. I know some people aren’t into cheese and seafood. So, if that’s you, you could leave it out. But, personally, I like a simple salty crumbled cheese with my salmon, which is more of a meaty fish. Feta and goat cheese would be my choices here, but you could also with in with some cotija — or even burrata or mozzarella if you wanted to mix things up.
Lastly, you want to go in with that farro. Farro is one of my favorite grains, and pairs nicely with the rest of the salad. While I’m not always a big fan of tossing my grain in directly with the rest of my salad, farro is sturdy grain that holds up nicely with the vinaigrette. Plus, this Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad recipe only calls for about a half a cup, so it’s not like you’re ending up with a soggy grain bowl. Really, the farro just acts as a nice hearty texture in this dish, and makes it into a more well rounded meal. Plus, it’s absolutely delicious, so don’t skip it!!
how to serve it up…
After you top your Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad off with some sunflower seeds (or, really, crunch of choice), you’re good to go! This salad is truly the best weeknight dinner for those hot summer days, and is the best way to use up all that good summer produce. Honestly, you could probably even add in any other summer produce you find. Scallions look good? Add some of those. Zucchini and squash in full bloom? Grill some up and toss them in! Really, the possibilities are endless, so go with what you love! I even love to top this dish off over some market greens. Using whatever produce, this dish is also wonderful to serve up for friends and family in the summer. Maybe with a side of my Parmesan Kale Tortellini Pasta Salad?? Or even to bring for a potluck? You can’t go wrong with this one… everyone loves it!!
I hope you love this Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:)
Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad
Course: Main Course, Salad, Lunch, DinnerCuisine: American, Summer, SeafoodDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes10
minutes30
minutesCrispy, spiced bite sized salmon tossed a simply dressed heirloom tomatoes, corn, and farro salad: this Blackened Salmon Bite Summer Farro Salad is a weekly staple this time of year!!
Ingredients
- salmon bites:
½ tbsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne
½ tbsp onion powder
½ tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
freshly cracked pepper
1.5 lb salmon, skin removed and diced into 1-2 inch cubes*
Olive oil or olive oil spray, as needed
- salad:
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
4 large heirloom tomatoes, largely diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cups fresh raw corn (about 3 ears of corn)
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
¾ cups feta or goat cheese, crumbled
½ -1 cups farro, prepared according to package and cooled
Toasted sunflower seeds, to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare your farro according to its package and allow it to cool in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and a greased wire baking rack.
- Mix all spices in a small bowl. Toss the salmon bites with the spice mixture to coat. Line the bites up on the wire baking rack and brush or spray generously with olive oil. Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Switch the oven to the highest broil setting and broil for 1-2 more minutes, or until cooked through and crisp.
- Meanwhile, in the bottom of a large bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, dried oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss in the heirloom tomatoes, shallot, corn, basil, cheese, and farro.
- Serve your salad topped with a couple of the salmon bites, and garnish with sunflower seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- I do not recommend sockeye salmon for this recipe, as it usually has lots of bones which makes dicing it difficult. If that is your preference, I would ask the fishmonger to remove the bones for you. I also like to ask the fishmonger to take the skin off for me.