Grilled Salmon with Avocado Ceviche-Style Salsa
Salmon is one of those easy, meals with an elegant flare and minimal clean-up that lends itself to many meal variations. The flavor combinations in this dish are inspired by the Mexican ceviche-style salsa and fresh grilled vegetables I remember eating at a friend’s house when I was a teenager living in Tucson, Arizona.
For this recipe, I begin with a marinade that’s loaded with flavor requiring few ingredients. Using just five kitchen staples that you most likely already have in your pantry and fridge, the marinade whisks together effortlessly. Just whisk it up, pour it over the fillet of salmon in a bowl, cover the bowl, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two before grilling.
As the salmon marinades, prepare the vegetables for grilling. Combine red onion slices*, summer squash and zucchini (cut on the bias), and cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and seasonings in a large bowl tossing to coat evenly. Set aside.
When I’m looking for a meal that’s delicious, healthy, nutritionally-satisfying, and quick to fix, fresh salmon tops my list. Add in salmon’s versatility in grilling, smoking, poaching, or even serving raw in some recipes, its endless options for flavoring before cooking using marinades or rubs, or for serving it up with toppings and complimentary sides, and you’ve got the main course that offers maximum flexibility. Because its rich and fatty, containing Omega 3 fatty acids, its good for your health too!
Making the Avocado Ceviche-Style Salsa...
Before serving this Mexican-Inspired Avocado Ceviche-Style Salsa Topped Grilled Salmon, the next step is to make the ceviche-style salsa topping. Ceviche (seh-vee-chay), in the real sense of the word, is a seafood dish originating in South America. The salsa typically made from fresh raw fish is cured in citrus juices and spiced with chili peppers and other seasonings.
But this isn’t authentic ceviche.
In this recipe, I’m using the spicy, rich Mexican-inspired tomato-based cocktail sauce made with fresh vegetables and spices.
To make this rendition, you will combine a 15-ounce can of chopped tomatoes with green chili, chopped red onion, cucumber, celery, a minced jalapeno, ketchup, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, and chopped parsley (you could also substitute cilantro). Stir it up and refrigerate the mixture until needed; before serving toss in one avocado, cut into chunks.
While the salsa flavors develop as they chill, preheat the grill to approximately 350-400ºF. Place the vegetables using tongs onto the preheated grill and cook until they begin to brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove when done, covering with foil and place in a warming oven or upper rack of the grill to keep warm.
The next step is to grill the salmon.
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Oh No! My salmon is sticking to the grill!!
How many times have you been frustrated by an experience like this yourself?
For us, salmon sticking to the grill has been a practice that has taken years – yes, you heard me right, years of trial, and error to resolve. Thankfully, we’ve discovered these eight handy little tips for grilling salmon that has ended our salmon grilling frustrations.
8 Handy Tips for Grilling Salmon
1. Preheat grill to 400-425ºF.
2. Let your salmon rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling, so it cooks more evenly.
3. Leave the skin on the salmon.
4. Cut the salmon into serving size portions before grilling to make it easier to handle.
5. Spray a high-heat grilling spray on the grill grates before placing the salmon on the grill.
6. Place the skin side down first, cooking for 3-4 minutes on that side.
7. Spray high-heat grilling spray onto the grill grate next to the salmon fillet portion. Gently, turn (almost rolling) the fillet to turn onto the sprayed grill and cook for about 1 minute more without moving.
8. Fillets are done when the salmon fillet turns dark pink.
Grilled Salmon with Avocado Ceviche-Style Salsa
EQUIPMENT
- grill
- whisk
- tongs
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Salmon fillet 2-1/2 to 3 pounds (or Four-4 oz. portions per pound)
- 1 medium Avocado cut into chunks
- Parsley or Cilantro to garnish
- 1 Lime
For the Salmon Marinade
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce gluten-free
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard gluten-free
- 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Garlic fresh or jarred
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley minced for garnish (Can substitute Cilantro)
For the Vegetables
- 1 small yellow Summer Squash
- 1 small Zucchini Squash
- 8-10 Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 medium Red Onion sliced into 1/2-inch discs*
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic & Herb Blend
- ½ Teaspoon Summer Savory
- ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ Teaspoon Pepper
For the Ceviche-Style Salsa
- 16 ounces Chopped Tomatoes with Green Chilies 1-Can or 1-1/2 cups of freshly chopped tomatoes with their juices.
- 4 ounces Green Chilies 1-4-ounce can or approximately 3-4 green chilies, steamed 2-3 minutes, seeds removed and chopped.
- 1 Cup Red Onion chopped
- 1 Cup Cucumber peeled and diced
- ½ Cup Celery chopped
- 1 medium Jalapeno minced
- ½ Cup Ketchup
- ¼ Cup Parsley chopped (May substitute Cilantro)
- 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
- Hot Sauce to taste (Anywhere from 1 Tablespoon to 1/4 Cup)
- Kosher Salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Begin by Marinating the Salmon
- Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, dijon mustard, lime juice, and garlic.
- Pour mixture over the fillet of salmon in a shallow bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before grilling.
Grilling the Vegetables
- Preheat the grill to approximately 350-400ºF.
- As the salmon marinades, prepare the vegetables for grilling. Combine red onion slices*, summer squash and zucchini (cut on the bias), and cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and spices in a large bowl tossing to coat evenly.
- Place the vegetables using tongs onto the preheated grill and cook until they begin to brown, 3-4 minutes per side.
- Remove the vegetables to a bowl, cover with foil and place in a warming oven or the upper rack of the grill to keep warm.
For the Ceviche-Style Salsa
- As the vegetables are grilling, use a medium-size bowl to combine the chopped tomatoes, chilies, red onion, cucumber, celery, jalapeno, ketchup, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, and chopped parsley. Stir gently to mix and refrigerate until needed.
- Before serving toss in one avocado, cut into chunks.
Grilling the Salmon
- Preheat gas grill to 400-425ºF.
- As the grill heats, remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This step will help the salmon to cook more evenly.
- Leaving the skin on, cut the salmon into serving size portions before grilling to make them easier to handle.
- Spray high-heat grilling spray on the grill grates before placing salmon on the grill.
- Place the skin side down first, cooking for 3-4 minutes on that side.
- Spray high-heat grilling spray onto the grill grate next to the salmon fillet portion. Gently, turn (almost rolling) the fillet to turn onto the sprayed grill and cook for about 1 minute more without moving.
- Fillets are done when the salmon turns dark pink.
To Serve
- Carefully peel the skin from each salmon filet and discard before plating.
- Arrange one portion of grilled vegetables and salmon on the plate. Top the salmon with the desired amount of ceviche-style salsa (don't forget to garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, a squeeze of lime juice), and enjoy!
KITCHEN NOTES
Drain the shrimp well, then add to the ceviche-salsa mixture to marinate. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until needed; before serving toss in one avocado, cut into chunks.
Nutrition
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(Nutritional values are an approximation. Actual nutritional values may vary due to preparation techniques, variations related to suppliers, regional and seasonal differences, or rounding.)
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