Salmon, baby spinach and rice salad

Written by Catherine Saxelby on Tuesday, 02 November 2021.
Tagged: healthy cooking, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, nutrition

Ready In: 15 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 minutes
Serves: 4

Recipe Salmon, baby spinach and rice salad

This easy salad is one I’ve adapted from the Canadian Salmon Advisory Service and used with their permission. Because it uses up a whole packet of each ingredient, you can make it when camping or on the road.

Ingredients

2 cups (250 g) cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1–2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
2 x 210 g cans pink or red salmon, drained
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
2–3 spring onions (shallots), green and white stems chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE
1 packet (about 120 g) baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Nutrition per serve

1460 kJ (350 Calories), 26 g protein, 17 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat), 19 g carbohydrate (including 1 g sugars), 3 g fibre, 360 mg sodium

Directions

Spoon the rice into a shallow bowl. Add the oil and lemon juice and zest.
Flake salmon and place in a salad bowl with the tomato halves, parsley, spring onions and a few grinds of black pepper. Spoon rice into the salad bowl. Mix all ingredients well.
Serve on a bed of spinach leaves or mix them together. Serve topped with pine nuts, if using.

Variations

Tip: Making this recipe on the go? Use a packet of pre-cooked packet brown rice.
No cooked rice? You can substitute 1/2 cup (100 g) dried couscous. Boil 150 mL or 3/4 cup reduced-salt chicken or vegetable stock in a medium-sized pot. Remove from heat, then stir in the couscous. Cover and leave to swell for 2 minutes, then stir with a fork to separate and fluff up the grains.
No baby spinach leaves? Use a bag of spinach and rocket leaves, or a bag of mixed salad leaves.
No spring onions? Use ½ onion instead. Chop it very finely.