Escabeche is both a dish and a way of cooking, and has its place in many cultures. It’s adaptable and unique, but always full of flavor. Since it’s served cold, this Salmon Escabeche Quinoa Salad makes a perfect side dish for those warm months (or a main dish served with a side of sourdough toast). Often, this marinated meat or fish with vegetables is served on it’s own, but I had the grand idea to make it into a salad, because we have kids who are skeptical of fish. Since it’s in smaller pieces and mixed into the salad, it makes the whole idea of marinated fish approachable. My kids ate it, and actually really enjoyed it, so I’m calling this dish a win. It’s simple to make, so follow along and try it for yourself.
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Let the cooking begin!
The steps:
- You’ll start by searing your salmon. My favorite tip for doing this is to make sure you lift the salmon off the pan and shift it around immediately after placing it down on the pan. It helps it not stick, which is a very common issue with fish.
- The salmon will then be shredded in a lovely marinade mix of EVOO, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, and fresh thyme.
- This dish is technically a one-pan dish, because next you’ll use the same pan to cook your diced red pepper, adding more oil, if needed. If you really want to save time, you can cook the red pepper on the same pan while the salmon is cooking.
- The red pepper will go into the same container as the marinated salmon, but it will just sit on top. We’re not trying to pickle the red pepper, just chill it. Put the lid on and place your container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the salad or 2+ hours. *You can leave the marinated salmon in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, and the cooked red pepper will last about 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
- In a large mixing bowl, you’re going to add your cooked quinoa, olives, jalapeno, and pickled red onion. Then, you’ll dump the entire contents of your marinade container into the bowl. The marinade also acts as a dressing!
- Toss everything together with tongs, adjusting the salt as needed; don’t be scared to add more! Serve as a side dish or main dish. Enjoy!
Substitutions:
- There are so many different ways to make escabeche. Other types of fish would work well, but I haven’t tried it.
- You can sub rice or cauliflower rice for the quinoa.
- Other peppers or veggies would work well in place of the red pepper (i.e. yellow, orange, green, sliced carrots, banana peppers, etc.)
Recommended kitchen items:
- 12in Cast iron skillet. These are so versatile. They can go from the stovetop to the oven and are one of the cleanest cooking pans out there. I don’t have a link to the exact one I have, but linked is a very similar one.
- Teak wood spoon. This set is beautiful. I love using wooden utensils, because they don’t scratch your pots and pans.
- Garlic press. Oh man, I love this thing. No more fiddling with garlic cloves, you just smash them instead.
- Glass food storage containers. This is a great set with various sizes and shapes of containers. I use them all the time for food storage.
- Stainless steel measuring utensils. The spoons are my favorite, because they fit in spice jars. I also love using stainless steel, instead of plastic.
I hope you love this recipe, and would love to hear about how making it went for you! Share with me in the comments below, on Pinterest, or @whitsfoodfit on Instagram.
Salmon Escabeche Quinoa Salad
(GF, DF, Soy free, Egg free, Nut free)
Ingredients
Salmon
- 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz salmon wild sockeye is my favorite
- sea salt
- cracked pepper
Marinade
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup fresh thyme roughly chopped
Salad
- 1 red pepper diced
- 3¾ cup cooked quinoa (about 1½ cup uncooked)
- 3.8 oz can sliced black olives
- 2 jalapenos sliced into rounds, remove seeds to remove spice
- ½ cup pickled red onion
Instructions
- Head a skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper. A generous sprinkle of each will do.
- Add the salmon to the hot pan, and then immediately use a spatula to lift and shift the salmon on the pan to ensure it doesn't stick. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.
- While the salmon is searing, add your marinade ingredients to a shallow bowl with a lid, or a rectangular food storage container with a lid. Stir with a fork to combine.
- Once the salmon has mostly cooked, remove it from the pan and add it to the marinade. Shred the salmon with 2 forks and mix it in to make sure everything is coated.
- In the same pan you had the salmon on, add the diced red pepper, with some more olive oil, if needed. Stir and let it cook until the red pepper is fork-tender.
- Add the red pepper to the salmon mixture, but don't stir it in, just let it sit on top. Cover the container and refrigerate 2+ hours to let the salmon marinate and chill. The marinated salmon can be in the refrigerator up to 1 week. The red pepper can be in there 3-5 days.
- When ready to serve, combine the cooked quinoa, olives, jalapeno slices, pickled red pepper, and the entirety of the salmon marinade container (juices, red pepper, and all) in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss everything together with tongs, adding salt as needed, and serve.
I made less quinoa ( about a cup dry) because that’s all I had . Love this recipe ! Flavor is awesome ! Next time though I think I will add just a little bit more fish , other than that … it was a perfect meal prep for my lunch for the week!