Spicy Chipotle Salmon Kale Salad

5 from 1 vote

Spicy Chipotle Salmon Kale Salad

This salmon kale salad is made by pan searing the salmon, adding halloumi cheese and then drizzling everything with a simple spicy chipotle yogurt dressing.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: lunch

Cuisine: salad

Keyword: Spicy Chipotle Salmon Kale Salad

Servings:

Author: Erin Alvarez

Ingredients

for the salad:

4 cups kale
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
1 sweet potato peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red onion diced or sliced
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1/2 package of halloumi cheese

for the salmon:

2 salmon filets
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp chipotle powder

for the dressing:

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 chipotle chile with 2 tbsp sauce from can of chipotles in adobo sauce
Juice from 1 1/2 limes*
Pinch of salt and black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.**
Add kale, 1 tbsp olive oil and salt to a large bowl and use your hands to massage kale for about 20 seconds; set aside.
Next, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat (I used my cast iron) and add sweet potatoes, stirring occasionally until sweet potatoes are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside.
Meanwhile, add the chopped onion and sunflower seeds to the bowl with kale.
Next, chop the halloumi and then heat in over a skillet. cooking for about a minute on each side, or until golden brown; add the halloumi to the bowl with the kale.
Next, cook the salmon. Make sure your cast iron skillet is free, so if you were using it to cook the sweet potatoes, add the sweet potatoes to the kale salad and wipe it down. Then, add lime juice to both sides of the salmon, then dip the salmon into the marinade (chili and chipotle seasoning) and then directly into the cast iron skillet. Make sure the skillet is over medium high heat and place a lid over the skillet and cook salmon for 3-4 minutes on each side, adding a bit of oil to the skillet to make sure it doesn't stick.
Check your salmon to make sure it's cooked through; if it is, great! If you happen to have an extra thick piece of salmon, it might not be. If that's the case, place your cast iron skillet into the oven and bake the salmon for an additional 8-12 minutes.
For the dressing: add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth.
Assemble everything together and enjoy!

Notes

*For a less spicy dressing, add juice from another 1/2 lime
**You do not have to do this step. I like pan searing my salmon and then baking it in the oven to assure it's cooked all the way through, but if you are a pro at pan-searing fish, simply skip this step!

Nutrition