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 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
* 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.** 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*** You could also swap the sweet potato for butternut squash or pumpkin, occasionally. Though this will affect the cooking time depending on how thickly you slice it.**** 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.***** There are tons of 'extras' that you could add to the 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.
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.