Summertime meals are all about freshness, flavor, and fun. This grilled spiced salmon salad with avocado cucumber salsa by Sylvia Fountaine is a perfect dish for a hot summer day. If you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser, this is the type of meal that will make you look like a professional after you whip it up. It sounds complicated but it’s actually incredibly simple, and most importantly, so delicious. Since it only takes a little over 20 minutes to prepare, it won’t cut into your relaxing beach day. It’s also low carb and filled with healthy fats. Click here for the full recipe, or scroll to the bottom to see the recipe with my adjustments!

What screams “summer” more than a sizzling grill? To begin, preheat the grill to medium (you can also use a grill pan). Pat your salmon dry. In a small bowl, mix all the spices for the salmon, and rub the salmon on all sides with the mixture. Set it aside. Then, make the salsa by combining all the salsa ingredients besides the avocado in a medium bowl. Gently fold in the avocado– make sure not to squish it! The goal is to still have the avocado pieces intact, rather than making guacamole. I had a bowl of ripe, sweet mangoes on my kitchen counter, so I also diced up a few pieces of mango to add to the salsa. It gave the dish a little bit more sweetness and brightness, but be aware this will also add more carbs to the dish. Then, make the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Chop up the romaine to your desired size for the salad. Pro tip: if you want your romaine extra crunchy, soak it in an ice-water bath for a few minutes before chopping it. Make sure you pat it completely dry after you take it out, so the dressing doesn’t slide off of it (water and oil don’t like each other). 

Make sure the grill is hot. Grease the grill with neutral cooking oil (I used Canola). Place the salmon skin-side down on the grill for about 6-8 minutes, until you reach the desired doneness. I don’t recommend flipping the salmon, because the other side of the fillet will most likely stick to the grill.  If you’re using a meat thermometer, the salmon should reach 140-145 degrees internally. Once done, take the salmon off the grill and let rest for a minute. Squeeze with a little lime juice. Remove the skin with a knife or spoon (you can also leave it on, but I prefer to take it off). 

Toss the lettuce with the dressing and assemble it on a plate. I also crushed a few toasted almonds to put on the salad. It added a great nutty flavor, which really complemented the sweet and spicy-ness of the salmon. Then place the salmon on top of the lettuce. Spoon the salsa over the top of the salmon, then garnish with lime slices. 

Serves 4

Carbs per serving: 17 grams 

For the Spiced Salmon: 

4 6 ounce salmon fillets

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chile powder

Lime 

For the Avocado Salsa:

1 ripe avocado, diced

1 cup diced cucumber

½ jalapeno, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime juice and zest

2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ mango (optional, will add about 12 grams of carbs)

For the yogurt dressing: 

½ cup plain Greek yogurt 

Juice from one lime

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

⅛ cup chopped cilantro

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper 

For the salad: 

2-3 heads of romaine lettuce 

A small handful of toasted almonds, crushed

Directions:

Preheat the grill to medium. Pat the salmon dry. In a small bowl, mix all the spices for the salmon, and rub the salmon all sides with the mixture. Set it aside.

Fill a bowl with ice water. Place the heads of romaine in the bowl. 

Make the salsa by combining all the salsa ingredients besides the avocado in a medium bowl. Gently fold in the avocado.

Make the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Take the romaine out of the water and thoroughly dry it. Chop up the romaine to your desired size for the salad.

Grease the grill with a neutral cooking oil. Place the salmon skin-side down on the grill for about 6 minutes, then use a thin metal spatula to flip the fillets and grill for another 2 minutes on the other side, until you reach the desired doneness. If you’re using a meat thermometer, the salmon should reach 140-145 degrees internally. Once done, take the salmon off the grill and let rest for a minute. Squeeze with a little lime juice. Remove the skin. 

Toss the lettuce with the dressing and the crushed almonds. Assemble it on a plate, then place the salmon on top of the lettuce. Spoon the salsa over the top of the salmon, then garnish with lime slices. 

This blog was written by Lauren Grove, DRC Intern, who has had T1D for 15 years and is responding to the article, “Grilled Salmon with Avocado Cucumber Salsa.”