Warm Salmon & Avocado Little-Gem Salad
Silky slow-roasted salmon, buttery greens, quick-pickled onions, and creamy avocado—simple, satisfying, and weeknight-fast.
Ingredients: apple-cider vinegar, avocado, black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, lemon juice, little-gem (or baby romaine) lettuce, red onion, salmon fillet, sugar
Dificulity level: Easy
Yield & Timing
| Serves | Prep Time* | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mains / 4 starters | 15 min | 20 min | 35 min |
Ingredient Line-Up
Quick Pickled Red Onions
| Item | Amount | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Red onion, thinly sliced | ½ medium | 75 g |
| Apple-cider vinegar | ¼ cup | 60 mL |
| Water, hot | ¼ cup | 60 mL |
| Sugar | 1 Tbsp | 12 g |
| Kosher salt | ½ tsp | 3 g |
Salmon & Salad
| Item | Amount | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Skinless salmon fillet, center-cut | 8 oz piece | 225 g |
| Kosher salt | ½ tsp | 3 g |
| Freshly ground black pepper | ¼ tsp | 1 g |
| Extra-virgin olive oil, divided | 2 Tbsp | 30 mL |
| Little-gem or baby romaine leaves | 4 cups, lightly packed | 120 g |
| Ripe avocado, sliced | 1 large | 200 g |
| Fresh lemon juice | 1 Tbsp | 15 mL |
Storage
- Pickled onions: fridge 1 week.
- Leftover salmon: fridge 2 days; excellent flaked into tomorrow’s lunch bowl.
- Assembled salad: best enjoyed immediately (greens wilt if held).
Fresh, bright, and loaded with good fats—your desk-lunch dreams just came true.
Method
1 Quick-pickle the onion
- In a heat-safe jar stir vinegar, hot water, sugar, and salt until dissolved.
- Add onion slices, press to submerge, and let stand while you cook the salmon (they’ll be ready in ~15 min).
2 Slow-roast the salmon
- Heat oven to 300 °F / 150 °C. Line a small sheet pan with parchment.
- Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil on the parchment, lay the salmon on top, and season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Roast 18–20 min until just opaque and flakes easily (internal temp 120–125 °F for medium-rare). Rest 2 min, then break into large chunks.
3 Assemble the salad
- In a bowl toss little-gem leaves with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
- Add avocado slices and a forkful of drained pickled onions; toss gently.
- Divide salad into bowls, nestle warm salmon chunks on top, and finish with a few extra onion strands and a grind of pepper.