This Grilled Salmon Avocado salad with kale is a high-protein, nutritious, and delicious meal-prep salad bowl option. Plus, with under 10 ingredients and plenty of opportunity for customization, this is a wonderful option that’ll keep you coming back time and time again!
On busy weeks at the Alphafoodie headquarters (…my apartment), I always aim to have a few healthy, nutrient-packed meals in my fridge ready to grab and go. This grilled salmon salad is packed with flavor and a long list of healthful properties – including immune-boosting properties and more.
Combining grilled salmon, sweet potato, kale, and avocado with several extra flavor-boosting ingredients, this high protein salad combines all my favorite flavors that not only taste wonderful together but also leave plenty of room for playing around with different dressings and additional ingredients.
What is it that makes this salmon avocado salad so special, though?
The Main Ingredients & Their Benefits
Salmon
Not only is salmon a healthy source of protein and Omega 3 essential fats, but it also contains good levels of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and selenium, all of which provide a very positive impact on our immune systems and body.
Vitam D plays a key role in boosting our immune system, for example, and can help fight infections and is great to consume more during the winter months. Meanwhile, Vitamin b12 supports T-cell function, and the Omega 3 essential fats not only promote our immune systems but also encourage faster recovery.
Sweet Potato
Not only do sweet potatoes taste ah-mazing, but they are also a rich source of Vitamin C and beta-carotene, which can boost the immune system, as well as containing over 120% of your daily Vitamin A in a single medium potato. The combination of the above is great for our skin, immune system, and overall body.
Avocado
Avocados are one of my all-time favorite ingredients to use for their creamy texture and ability to elevate so many meals. Not only do they taste great, though, but they’re also packed with healthful properties. Not only do they contain high levels of Vitamin K, C, B5, B6, E, potassium (more than a banana in fact) and folate (above 10% daily amount), they also contain small amounts of copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and Vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3 as well as powerful antioxidants.
While they do contain high levels of fats, they are heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids – which are known for several positive effects on the body. In fact, avocados can lower cholesterol levels, inflammation, and the fat content an even help your bodies to absorb some of the other nutrients better.
Kale
Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet – and not in measly low levels either. In fact, in just a cup of kale, there is over 100% of the daily recommended amounts of Vitamin K, A, and C.
On top of that, kale is also packed with antioxidants, which reduces inflammation, oxidative stress on the body, lowers blood pressure, and even lowers harmful LDL cholesterol levels.
Tip: Instead of a salmon kale salad, you could make a salmon spinach salad. Spinach is extremely nutrient-dense too – with plenty of healthful benefits! You can check out my list of top 20 immune-boosting foods here.
The other Ingredients
- Lemon
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Chili Flakes
- Olive Oil
The Step By Step Ingredients
Step 1. Prepare the sweet potato
There are several ways that you can prepare the sweet potato for this salad, including as a baked potato, sliced into coins or cubes and baked, or – as I’ve done – into a spiral-cut ‘tornado’ potato.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF.
On a cutting board, insert a BBQ skewer into your sweet potato. Then, using a sharp knife, cut a spiral slice all the way down the potato. Once cut, you can slightly pull the potato apart (to help it cook quicker and add more flavor all over the potato.
If the potato is a little too hard to insert the skewer, pierce the potato a few times with a fork and then microwave it for 30-60 seconds.
Using a brush, season the potatoes with a mixture of the chili, garlic, and olive oil (with optional salt & pepper).
You can use chili oil for even more spice. Omit the chili flakes entirely if you want a heat-free version. Feel free to also substitute these with your favorite seasonings of choice.
Place the potatoes on a baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
You could also swap the sweet potato for butternut squash or pumpkin, occasionally. Though this will affect the cooking time depending on how thick you slice it.
Step 2. Prepare the salmon fillets
Season the salmon with lemon, salt, and olive oil. Then place the fillets on a lightly oiled baking tray and add slices of lemon, dill, and fennel.
Dill is my favorite herb for pairing with salmon. Feel free to swap this out with your favorite herbs. In fact, due to the subtle nature of this salad recipe, you can prepare your favorite salmon flavorings in general – sweet chili, miso, honey, cream cheese, and herb, etc.
Place the salmon in the oven (grill mode, on high) for around 15 minutes, making sure to flip it over halfway through.
You could alternatively lightly cover with foil and place in the oven with the sweet potato. This will take around 15-20 minutes.
Step 3. Prepare the kale salad base
In a bowl, massage the kale gently with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. You can optionally add a squeeze of lemon juice too.
Step 4. Assemble the salmon kale salad
While the salmon and sweet potato cook, you can prepare any additional ingredients – such as the avocado.
Once all the elements are ready, it’s time to assemble the bowls by placing all of the ingredients in a bowl and garnishing with additional herbs (or edible flowers), if wanted.
There are tons of ‘extras’ that you could add to this salmon avocado salad, including crushed nuts or seeds for extra protein, cheese, other fresh veg like corn, mangetout, tomatoes, etc. Add a little cooked quinoa or grains for an even more filling, protein-rich meal too.
How To Store
This salmon avocado salad is delicious when served immediately from the oven or cold. In fact, it’s a great meal prep option as it will last 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Note that the massaged kale will continue to go limp over time. If you only plan on eating it a couple of days later, then you can leave the kale dressing to one side then add it to the kale on the day of eating, as long as you include lemon juice or vinegar to the dressing. Even without massaging the kale, the acidic content will help to soften the leaves over time.
Related Recipes
Though I don’t eat a lot of seafood, if you’re looking for another salmon recipe for a healthy mid-week meal, then you may like this Lemon & Dill Oven Baked Salmon (immune boosting).
For other healthy salad bowls, you may like:
- Vegan Kale, Butternut Squash + Quinoa salad
- Healthy Summer Kale Strawberry Salad
- Easy Spinach and Blackberry Salad
- Healthy Pink Raspberry Salad
- Vegan Feta Cheese Greek Salad
If you give this salmon avocado recipe a go, then let me know your thoughts and any questions in the comments. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.
High Protein Grilled Salmon Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets ethically harvested
- 2 sweet potatoes medium sized
- 2 cups kale
- 1 avocado
- 1 fennel root optional
- 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves minced to season the potatoes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Pinch chilli flakes
Instructions
Step 1. Prepare the sweet potato
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF.
- On a cutting board, insert a BBQ skewer into your sweet potato. Then, using a sharp knife, cut a spiral slice all the way down the potato. Once cut, you can slightly pull the potato apart ( to help it cook quicker and add more flavor all over the potato.*
- If the potato is a little too hard to insert the skewer, pierce the potato a few times with a fork and then microwave it for 30-60 seconds.
- Using a brush, season the potatoes with a mixture of the chili, garlic, and olive oil ( with optional salt & pepper).**
- Place the potatoes*** on a baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
Step 2. Prepare the salmon fillets
- Season the salmon with lemon, salt, and olive oil. Then place the fillets on a lightly oiled baking tray and add slices of lemon, dill, and fennel. ****
- Place the salmon in the oven (grill mode- on high) for around 15 minutes, making sure to flip it over halfway through.
- You could alternatively lightly cover with foil and place in the oven with the sweet potato. This will take around 15-20 minutes.
Step 3. Prepare the kale salad base
- In a bowl, massage the kale gently with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. You can optionally add a squeeze of lemon juice too.
Step 4. Assemble the salmon kale salad
- While the salmon and sweet potato cook, you can prepare any additional ingredients – such as the avocado.
- Once all the elements are ready, it's time to assemble the bowls by placing all o the ingredients in a bowl and garnishing with additional herbs ( or edible flowers), if wanted. *****
How To Store
- This salmon avocado salad is delicious when served immediately from the oven or cold. In fact, it's a great meal prep option as it will last 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.Note that the massaged kale will continue to go limp over time. If you only plan on eating it a couple of days later, then you can leave the kale dressing to one side then add it to the kale on the day of eating, as long as you include lemon juice or vinegar to the dressing. Even without massaging the kale, the acidic content will help to soften the leaves over time.
Notes
- Avocado will brown over time, even when dipped in lemon/lime juice. If planning days in advance then it’s best to prepare the avocado on the day you plan on eating the salad.
Nutrition
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