Healthy Fall Salad with Bacon Seared Salmon

Need a break from the heavy casseroles and rich treats of the fall? This healthy fall salad with bacon seared salmon is refreshing and super easy to make!

Course Dinner, Gluten-Free, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword fall salad, salmon, seared salmon

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 595kcal

Author Kelli Shallal MPH RD

Ingredients

16 ounces wild Alaskan salmon fillets skinned
6 ounces bacon
2 apples sliced thinly or chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
8 cups romaine lettuce
sprinkle lemon pepper

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

Instructions

Make bacon, reserving oil for searing salmon.
Sprinkle each side of the salmon with lemon pepper.
Add 2 tablespoon of bacon fat to pan on medium-low heat. Add salmon to the skillet and let it cook for 5-6 minutes on one side*see notes! Make sure you have a nice sear on one side before you flip it the salmon.
Once you flip the salmon, you'll cook another 4-10 minutes depending on how done you want it and how high your heat is. Start LOW and increase as needed.
For each salad add 2 cups romaine lettuce, 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, 4 ounces salmon, 1-2 pieces of bacon, 1 tablespoon cranberries, and ½ apple.
Shake or whisk salad dressing until well combined. Add ¼ of dressing to each salad.

Notes

Notes about how to sear salmon the way you want it:

For rare salmon, cook 4 minutes before flipping.
For thoroughly cooked salmon you may want to leave it on for 8-10 minutes.
If you want your salmon fully cooked (I do because I live in Arizona and I know my salmon was probably previously frozen), after about 5 minutes, add the lid to the pan to help the salmon steam.
If there is skin on your salmon, either skin it first OR place it skin side up on the first side.
The key to seared salmon is LOW and SLOW until you've got it cooked the way you want, you can always increase the heat if the salmon is cooking but you aren't getting the nice sear you want.

Nutrition