Main dish

Sockeye Salmon and Fava Bean Salad

Fresh Alaskan Sockeye Salmon straight from The Copper River. Sear it with your favorite seasoning and serve with this easy fava bean salad.

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Sockeye Salmon and Fava Bean Salad
Recipe insights & TIPS

Fresh Alaskan Copper River Sockeye Salmon. Sear it with your favorite seasoning and serve with this easy fava bean salad.

Sockeye Salmon and Fava Bean Salad

Those Alaskan fishermen are at it again. Out there in all sorts of weather just so we can enjoy some of the worlds best salmon, and this time it's Copper River Sockeye Salmon. Known for it's amazing deep red color, which the salmon get due to the orange krill in the ocean, sockeye is also prized for it's flavor.

Look carefully for it the next time you're at the store, because Copper River sockeye salmon is only available from early June to Late July. I urge you to try it, wait up... I beg you to try it because it's so good, and you'll notice in a second how superior it is to regular salmon. No added dyes or raised in small spaces, just bursting with healthy omega-3s and vitamin D. It might even be a face palm moment for you.

Sockeye Salmon and Fava Bean Salad

Another reason why I love salmon so damn much is because you can cook it tons of different ways, and eat it with almost anything! When I'm not grilling it like this King Salmon filet, I might be baking it in the oven with a mustard glaze. I also know for a fact that beer battered salmon tacos are the bomb! This is true and has been verified by my kids. And don't even get me started on salmon in my pasta. Salmon every day!!

Sockeye Salmon and Fava Bean Salad

All I needed to do to this sockeye was drizzle it with some olive oil and season it with my favorite spice mix. The salad takes a teeny bit more time but well worth it. This was my first time cooking fava beans, no joke! Once you get them out of their long thin jackets pop them in some boiling water for about 40 seconds and then straight into ice cold water.

This is where I almost slipped up because they still have an outer coating that looks grey in color. I was super disappointed because I pictured bright green beans in my head and thought I had overcooked them. I cried (almost).Nope, just take each fava and squeeze it gently. The bright green bean will pop right out- or across the kitchen floor like a few of  mine did High five Google, you saved me again.

Sockeye Salmon and Fava Bean Salad

I was provided with fresh Copper River Sockeye Salmon to create this recipe. All other ideas and opinions are my own.

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Recipe

Fresh Alaskan Copper River Sockeye Salmon. Sear it with your favorite seasoning and serve with this easy fava bean salad.

Course:
Main dish
COOKing TIME:
6 minutes
Total TIME:
46 minutes
CUISINE:
American
PREP TIME:
40 minutes
SERVINGS:
2

Ingredients

  • 2 Copper River Sockeye Salmon Filets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper or any of your favorite spice rubs

FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 pound fava beans
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups diced eggplant
  • 2 cups diced yellow squash
  • 1 tomato seeded and diced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • A good handful of fresh basil

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 clove small garlic
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  1. Make the salad by bringing a medium sized pot of water to a boil.
  2. Open the fava bean pods and add them to the boiling water for 40 seconds.
  3. Drain and let them rest in a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes.
  4. Take each bean and squeeze it until the green inner bean pops out and transfer those to a bowl.
  5. In a small pan, heat the 2 tbsp olive oil.
  6. Add the eggplant and squash.
  7. Cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat, transfer to a bowl to cool.
  8. Add the diced tomatoes to the fava beans along with the eggplant, squash and fresh basil leaves.
  9. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
  10. In blender combine all of the dressing ingredients and pulse until smooth.
  11. Heat another non stick pan with 2 tbsp olive oil until quite hot.
  12. Season the salmon and place in the pan skin side up.
  13. Cook for about 2 minutes and then flip the salmon over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the salmon feels firm to the touch when gently pressed.
  14. Serve the salmon at once with the salad and drizzle with some of the dressing.

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