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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Menu / Meat + Seafood / Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board

    Apr 7, 2019 · 28 Comments

    645 shares
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    A perfectly moist piece of salmon is surrounded by all sorts of fresh and seasonal goodies, ranging in textures and flavors, creating a very vibrantly nourishing salmon rainbow salad board! It’s a pick-whatcha-want-from-the-platter-and-build-your -very-own-salmon-salad-adventure situation.

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with avocado, purple cauliflower, tomatoes, red onions, purple patties, pink and purple radishes, bacon, cheese, garlic, blood orange and watermelon radishes. Up close.

    It’s the dish that’s been missing from all your dinner parties that you never even knew existed!

    Why this Recipe Works

    • Fail-proof: slowly roasting the salmon makes it nearly impossible to overcook and the result is a tender and moist fish.
    • The salad is versatile and easily adaptable to every season of the year so we can enjoy this party platter year round!
    • This dish can be as quick to make as you want it to be! It all depends on the toppings you choose.
    • This salmon dish falls in the magic intersection of looks highly impressive and is super easy to make!
    • Prepping the other ingredients and making the vinaigrette while the salmon is baking is an efficient way to whip this meal up in no time.

    Idea vs. Recipe & How to Make this Recipe

    So hear me out y’all! I wanna call this post an *idea* rather than a recipe.

    The idea goes like this: cook a piece of salmon, put it on a large board, and surround it by all sorts of fresh and seasonal goodies. Make a vinaigrette and serve the salmon board with a bowl of greens and vinaigrette.

    THAT’S IT!

    In terms of goodies to surround the salmon with, think all sorts of produce, bacon (or other charcuterie), cheeses, eggs, olives, alliums, nuts…. but mostly seasonal and local produce.

    So I don’t wanna be all bossy here and tell ya exactly what to surround the salmon with! Especially cause I’ve made a ton of rainbowlicious variations and they’re all winners! That’s why I’m calling this dish an idea instead of a recipe. Ya dig?!?!

    Instead of giving ya an exact blueprint to replicate, I’m gonna show ya all sorts of stellar variations on of this Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board below.

    And for all of you that do strongly desire a recipe to follow, I’ll still be sharing one below so no worries, I gotcha covered too.

    Use what’s local and seasonal to surround the salmon with! And that will change with the seasons.

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with avocado, purple, white, green and yellow cauliflower, pickled red onions, purple and white potatoes, corn, cheese, peppers, garlic, mushrooms, soft boiled eggs, ninja and watermelon radishes, blog oranges, lemons, limes, fried capers and shallots. Overhead shot.

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with eggs, tomatoes, bacon, avocado, mushroom, feta, radishes, oranges and garlic.

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with ninja radishes, avocado, tomatoes, purple and pink potatoes, garlic, yellow and purple cauliflower, romanesco, blood oranges, garlic, lemons, limes and cheese sprinkled with fresh herbs and fried capers.

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with avocado, purple cauliflower, tomatoes, red onions, purple patties, pink and purple radishes, bacon, cheese, garlic, blood orange, lemons, limes and watermelon radishes. Up close. Overhead shot,

    Since first discovering this Salmon Cobb Salad I’ve been quasi-obsessed making some version of it at my dinner parties. And what I surround the salmon with changes with the seasons…. and my mood. If it will taste good in a salmon salad, it can go on this board I say!

    Why I Love Serving this Salmon Salad Board at Dinner Parties

    I host dinner parties quite frequently, for people to meet, mingle, eat good food, have a grand ol’ time and build community. There’s something about interactive food that’s spectacularly conducive to building community. I love it when my guests have gotta get all up in there, perhaps even using their hands, choosing what to put on their plates and hearing people asking what combo others got going on.

    I often serve the platter as the finger food app, arranging it on my coffee table in my living room moments before guests arrive. It has a WOW factor to it and is a dish that fosters community building!

    Cooks Tip

    • When possible, buy wild salmon!
    • For all the goodies surrounding the salmon, think fresh, local, and seasonal.
    • Serving size can easily vary depending on the number of people you’re cooking for.
    • Leave the skin on the salmon and bake skin-side down.
    • Check you salmon: Cooking time for salmon will vary depending on the thickness of your filet.
    • Vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; let come to room temperature before serving.

    Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #wavesinthekitchen. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with avocado, purple, white, green and yellow cauliflower, pickled red onions, purple and white potatoes, corn, cheese, peppers, garlic, mushrooms, soft boiled eggs, ninja and watermelon radishes, blog oranges, lemons, limes, fried capers and shallots. Up close shot.

    Let’s Makes Waves in the Kitchen!

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with avocado, purple cauliflower, tomatoes, red onions, purple patties, pink and purple radishes, bacon, cheese, garlic, blood orange, lemons, limes and watermelon radishes. Up close. Overhead shot,
    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board with avocado, purple cauliflower, tomatoes, red onions, purple patties, pink and purple radishes, bacon, cheese, garlic, blood orange, lemons, limes and watermelon radishes. Up close. Overhead shot,
    Print Recipe
    4.72 from 14 votes

    Salmon Rainbow Party Salad Board

    A perfectly moist piece of salmon is surrounded by all sorts of fresh and seasonal goodies, ranging in textures and flavors, creating a very vibrantly nourishing salmon rainbow party salad board! It’s a pick-whatcha-want-from-the-platter-and-build-your -very-own-salmon-salad-adventure situation.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    Total Time55 mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Californian
    Servings: 6
    Author: Daniela Gerson

    Ingredients

    For the Caper Oil & Garlic Roasted Salmon

    • 1 ½ -2 pounds Wild King Salmon skin on, patted dry
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • ¼ cup capers drained
    • 1 bulb garlic cut in half horizontally around the middle
    • salt
    • pepper

    For the Salad

    • 2 avocados thinly sliced, cut into wedges and/or leave a half or two intact to serve on the platter
    • 1 head cauliflower any color, cut into bite size florets
    • 1 pound potatoes either thinly sliced or cut in half if they’re baby potatoes
    • 1 pound shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
    • 1 pound cherry tomatoes cut in half and/or heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges
    • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced lengthwise
    • ½ pound radishes thinly sliced on a mandolin (if you have one, or as thin as possible with a knife)
    • 3/4 cup blue or feta cheese my go to is Sheep’s milk feta
    • 1 orange or blood orange thinly sliced
    • 1-2 lemons and/or limes cut into wedges
    • 1 bunch chives chopped
    • 1/2 cup olive oi;
    • 4-6 cups greens arugula, frisée, little gems, romaine, watercress or any combination
    • handfull fresh herbs, such as dill and/or parsley

    For the Tarragon Vinaigrette (a vinaigrette idea)

    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 shallot roughly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1/4 cup tarragon leaves chopped
    • 1/2 cup olive oil you'll have some leftover vinaigrette

    Instructions

    For the Caper Oil & Garlic Roasted Salmon

    • Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 
    • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the capers and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until capers burst and are crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer capers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Let oil cool; set aside.
    • Rub salmon all over with reserved caper oil and place skin side down on a baking sheet; season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange garlic bulb halves around salmon and drizzle with 1 tablespoon more of oil. Bake for about 15-25min, until the salmon is barely cooked through and just opaque on the inside. Exact timing will vary depending on thickness of cut, check every 10 minutes until it’s done. My pieces usually take around 20 min. 

    For the Salad

    • For the shiitakes mushrooms: heat a skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Swirl ¼ cup of olive oil. Add mushrooms and spread in a single layer. Flip/stir every 3-5 minutes for about 15-20 minutes, until they’re nicely charred and browned all over. Don’t over-stir to allow the mushrooms to be well seared. 
    • For the potatoes: Put potatoes in a Dutch oven, cover with water, season generously with salt and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook until potatoes can be pierced with a fork with no resistance, about 10 minutes. Let cool and drain. I sometimes only par-boil my potatoes and finish them in a 450 F oven with olive oil. This is optional. 
    • For Cauliflower: Pan Sear or Bake. To Pan Sear: heat a skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Swirl ¼ cup of olive oil. Add cauliflower and let cook, undisturbed, until deep golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip cauliflower and cook, stirring cauliflower as necessary, until its nicely browned all over, about 5-6 minutes more. Remove from pan and set aside. To Bake: toss with ¼ cup of olive oil and roast in an oven at 450 F until tender and browned, about 35min. Set aside. 

    For the Tarragon Vinaigrette

    • For the tarragon vinaigrette: Using an immersion blender or standing blender, blend cider vinegar, honey, shallot, Dijon mustard, tarragon, and a large pinch of salt until well combined and tarragon and shallot are finely chopped. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in remaining 1 cup olive oil. Season with salt, if needed.

    To Arrange the Salad

    • Place salmon on the center of the board and surround with all your toppings. Sprinkle the fried capers and fresh herbs on top. Serve alongside the bowl of greens and vinaigrette. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • When possible, buy wild salmon!
    • For all the goodies surrounding the salmon, think fresh, local, and seasonal.
    • Serving size can easily vary depending on the number of people you’re cooking for.
    • Leave the skin on the salmon and bake skin-side down.
    • Check you salmon: Cooking time for salmon will vary depending on the thickness of your filet.
    • Vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; let come to room temperature before serving.
    • For all the goodies surrounding the salmon, think fresh, local and seasonal.
    • Serving size can easily vary depending on the number of people you’re cooking for.
    • Leave the skin on the salmon and bake skin-side down.
    • Check you salmon: Cooking time for salmon with vary depending on the thickness of your filet.
    • Vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; let come to room temperature before serving.
    « Roasted Carrot & Ricotta Tart
    Fresh Peas & Roasted Radishes with Burrata »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacqueline says

      April 08, 2019 at 4:14 pm

      5 stars
      This is the MOST gorgeous and delicious salad bowl ever👍👍👍👍👍👍
      Always a winner🙏😢😢😘

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 08, 2019 at 4:18 pm

        You are too cute Jacqueline! Thank ya so much! And it was such a pleasure to serve this to ya at a past pop up! Cant wait to have you over again :).

        Reply
    2. Gloria | Homemade & Yummy says

      April 09, 2019 at 12:11 am

      5 stars
      WOW, this is super colourful. So many textures too. What a great recipe for entertaining with. I think the guests would be totally impressed.

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 09, 2019 at 1:41 am

        Thank ya so much Gloria! That's definitely the idea! And yes it absolutely positively WOWS guests when they walk in! Such a fun dish to serve for entertaining. Thanks so much for the super sweet feedback :).

        Reply
    3. Nicoletta Sugarlovespices says

      April 11, 2019 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      Love colorful foods! This is gorgeous not only in color and presentation but also as regards to flavors and textures. It would be the talk of the party!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 22, 2019 at 6:14 pm

        Thank ya so much Nicoletta!!! And I must say that every time I've served this dish it def has been the talk of the party! Really appreciate the super sweet feedback :).

        Reply
    4. Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says

      April 11, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      Recipe or idea, who cares - this is stunning! So beautiful and fresh I want to tuck in! Will definitely be trying this, though I doubt it will look as pretty as yours!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 25, 2019 at 6:12 pm

        Hehehe.... yes exactly who care :)?!?! It's a dish ya def wanna make and I think yours will surely look super pretty too! Thanks so much for the feedback Carrie!

        Reply
    5. Denise says

      April 11, 2019 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      This is the most gorgeous and colorful salad board I have ever seen! FOR sure this would impress your guests that you were serving it to. Thank you for sharing a beautiful and delicious idea!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:42 pm

        Thank you Denise for the super sweet feedback! Wowie the most gorgeous and colorful salad board you've ever seen :)???? You just made my whole entire day!!! Thank ya so much! And yes it absolutely positively impresses guests!

        Reply
    6. Analida Braeger says

      April 12, 2019 at 2:47 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely beautiful presentation ! I love how i can tell how moist and juicy the salmon

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:40 pm

        Thanks so much for the kind feedback Analida ~ I really appreciate it! Yes the salmon is super moist and juicy :).

        Reply
    7. Lorie says

      April 12, 2019 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my these colors are just unreal!!! Yes slow roasting is always ideal with salmon. Can’t wait to make this one!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:39 pm

        So stoked to hear that Lorie!!! Thank ya so very much! And of course I agree on slow roasting :). Please let me know how it goes after ya make it... I'd absolutely love to hear!

        Reply
    8. Jo says

      April 13, 2019 at 6:20 am

      5 stars
      Only if all salads looks sensational as this one! I'd eat salad for all 3 meals all days of the week. Such a beautiful spread, love it

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:38 pm

        Hehehe... thank ya Jo! I'm all about sensational salads... bet I could make 'em so you'd eat 3 a day :)! Really appreciate the sweet feedback too ~ thank ya!

        Reply
    9. Heather says

      April 13, 2019 at 2:21 pm

      5 stars
      Ok. This is just. Friggin. Gorgeous. And serving this at a dinner party would steal the show. So pretty! Thanks for the tip on how to cook the salmon too!

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:37 pm

        Absolute pleasure Heather! And thank you for the super sweet feedback! This is def a show stealer at a dinner party ~ I know from much experience :). And it's so easy to make! Hope ya make it soon too!

        Reply
    10. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

      April 14, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      This is beautiful! I have always loved cooking with salmon, but mine don't ever look this pretty. Definitely making this when I have friends over 🙂

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:36 pm

        Thanks so much Cathleen! What does your salmon look like? Really appreciate the sweet feedback and def do make this next time ya have friends over! And let me know how it goes ~ I'd absolutely love to hear :).

        Reply
    11. Natalie says

      April 14, 2019 at 5:44 pm

      5 stars
      Oh wow!!! This is so beautiful I absolutely love the colors and the flavors. I must make this next time I'm throwing a party. My guests will be so surprised.

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:35 pm

        Yes they will be Natalie!!! Def let me know how it goes ~ I'd absolutely love to hear :). I'm all about super colorful food!

        Reply
    12. Analida Braeger says

      April 15, 2019 at 1:34 am

      5 stars
      This is such a beautiful assortment ! I love the beautiful vivid colors. This looks like a great summer time platter !

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:34 pm

        Thanks smooch Analida! I'm all about vibrantly colorful food! Really appreciate the feedback :).

        Reply
    13. Jagruti Dhanecha says

      April 15, 2019 at 7:16 am

      5 stars
      Wow wow wow! You can eat a rainbow too. Such a gorgeous and nutritious meal here, a stunner meal.

      Reply
      • Daniela says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:33 pm

        That's exactly the idea Jagruti!!! A rainbow a day keeps the doctor away I say :). Thanks so much for the super sweet feedback! Really appreciate it!

        Reply
    14. waterfallmagazine.com says

      June 09, 2020 at 7:32 am

      1 star
      https://waterfallmagazine.com
      Wonderful post! We are linking to this great content on our site.
      Keep up the great writing.

      Reply
      • Daniela Gerson says

        August 06, 2020 at 6:57 pm

        Wow awesome super stoked to hear that will def check the your mag out! Thanks so much for linking to it... I adore making the salmon board :).

        Reply

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    Meet Daniela

    VEGGIES ARE SEXY 

    Hi, I'm Daniela - a Los Angeles based food photographer and creative director. I began my career as a chef with a passion for sourcing colorful produce from local markets. I love emphasizing the beauty of real food with my images. I’m also a food stylist and recipe developer with a gorgeous prop-filled studio in Venice, California.

    Daniela Gerson Photography

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