Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad
Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad is my twist on the classic Caesar salad with crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy homemade croutons, and light Caesar dressing topped with blackened baked salmon for a satisfying main dish. Ready in only 30 minutes, it’s the perfect blackened salmon recipe when you want to impress dinner guests.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For the Croutons
- ½ French Baguette, cut in half and thinly sliced (¼″ thick)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved
Blackened Salmon Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Caesar Salad Dressing
- ½ cup Hellman's mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved
Salmon Caesar Salad
- 4 6-ounce portions wild salmon fillets, skin on, pin bones removed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large romaine lettuce, (or 2 small heads romaine)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set an oven rack in the lower-middle position. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise through the top of the baguette then slice diagonally into ¼″ thick pieces. Place them onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of minced garlic. Drizzle the garlic oil over the croutons and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and grated parmesan cheese. Toss until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer onto the rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F until light golden and crisp (about 10 minutes), or to desired crispness.
- Meanwhile, combine all of the blackened salmon seasoning ingredients in a blender or food processer and process on medium speed for about 10 seconds. You may have some leftovers which can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Make Caesar dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan and season to taste. If the Caesar dressing is too thick, stir in water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Remove croutons from oven and transfer to a large bowl and set aside until ready to use.
- Now use 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to grease the same rimmed baking sheet. Place the salmon, skin-side down, on a plate and season all over with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Drizzle the salmon all over using remaining 2 Tablespoons of the oil. Rub an even layer of the blackened seasoning over the salmon. Arrange the fillets skin-side down on the prepared rimmed sheet pan, leaving space between them.
- Bake salmon for 10-12 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F using an instant read meat thermometer. You can broil the last 1-2 minutes if desired.
- While salmon is in the oven, add the chopped romaine lettuce and croutons to a large bowl and toss to coat with Caesar dressing. Divide the salad among 4 salad bowls.
- Top each Caesar salad with salmon filet, extra Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper, and serve.
