salmon quinoa salad with carrot-ginger-miso dressing

I have told you before about the month-long period in my life, a few months after we had Luna, when we went on a trip to Bali to a wellness resort to restore my brain during a bout of postpartum depression. The food was such a highlight: super clean and healthy, but at the same time satisfying and flavorful. We did a few cooking classes there to understand the basics and make our favorites, and it was quickly apparent that dishes that SEEMED super easy were actually very complex. Things would be toasted or dehydrated for days before use or spices would be used that I’ve never heard of and definitely don’t remember. Something very special I had was a quinoa salad with corn and arugula. It had herbs and spices and juice from fruits I’d never before seen. We would have them top the dish with the rarest piece of salmon—one of the only foods I believe can be enjoyed both well-done AND rare-rare. So sometimes I try to re-create that experience at home, but without all those ingredients I don’t know the names of, and this comes out. We cook the salmon but still leave it tender, and I came up with a totally different but totally ENHANCED dressing. When we order Japanese takeout, I can never decide between carrot-ginger dressing and miso dressing. I want it all, so behold, we can have it ALL! I just ask that you not limit the use of this dressing to this recipe. It’s too good.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1MAKE THE DRESSING: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth-ish (but you still see some semblance of carrot), 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a container and chill until ready to use. (Makes 1 generous cup.)

Step 2

2PREPARE THE QUINOA AND SALMON: Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Step 3

3 Rinse the quinoa with cold water until the water runs clear. Place it in a small saucepan and cover it with generously salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, then cover, leaving a small crack open, and cook, opening the pot and stirring every 5 minutes, until all the water has evaporated and the quinoa is fluffy and separated, 20 minutes (stir more toward the end to prevent the quinoa from sticking and burning). Turn the quinoa out onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread it out to cool. (This helps any remaining water evaporate and keeps the quinoa from being waterlogged and soggy.)

Step 4

4 Meanwhile, rub the salmon with about 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil, then sprinkle all over with the cumin and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the salmon fillets on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until just cooked through but still juicy and tender, about 17 minutes. Remove from oven and cover to keep warm.

Step 5

5 Change the oven setting to broil and allow briefly to preheat. Arrange the corn on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then broil until the kernels char slightly, 5 minutes.

Step 6

6 Gently toss together the quinoa, corn, black beans, arugula, and red onion slices. Divide among 4 plates, then top each plate with a salmon fillet and drizzle with the dressing.