When it’s warm outside, Kemal and I enjoy cold salads for lunch and dinner. One of our favorites is a pasta salad with blackened salmon and fresh vegetables. We never make the salad the same. Sometimes we add tomatoes, and olives, and other times we add hard boiled eggs or peas. Whatever we decide to toss in the salad, we always enjoy it and find it refreshing and light, which is important when it’s really hot outdoors and you don’t want to feel heavy. It’s also very healthy and delicious. 
This recipe will serve about 6 people. You can easily scale it down if you’re cooking for two and don’t want leftovers.
Salmon Veggie Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. fresh salmon
- 16 oz. pasta (whatever kind you like)
- 1 small head cauliflower, broken up into small florets
- 1 bunch green onions, diced
- 1-2 lbs. asparagus, cut into approximately 3 inch pieces
- 1 small red bell pepper, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
- 2 small yellow bell peppers, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
- 8 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, diced
- 2 small zucchinis, cut into thin “coin’ slices
- 8 oz. raw spinach leaves
- 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- chili powder to taste
- blackening seasoning to taste
- oregano to taste
- basil to taste
- salad dressing of your choice (I used Italian pesto)
Step One: Prepare the Salmon
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Grease a baking dish with olive oil.
- Brush the salmon with olive oil and then sprinkle blackening seasoning on top of the oil. How much you use will depend on how spicy you like your food.
- Place the salmon on the baking dish with the blackened side up, and bake uncovered until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees.
- When the salmon is done, let it cool at room temperature for awhile.
- Cut the salmon into small, bite-sized pieces, and then refrigerate.
Step Two: Prepare the Pasta
- Put a pot of water on to boil.
- After the water boils, add the pasta, some salt, and a little olive oil.
- Cook uncovered until the pasta is slightly firm (al dente).
- Then drain the water off the pasta.
- Run cold water over the pasta and then set it aside to cool.
Step Three: Prepare the Veggies
- Wash all the vegetables, and then cut and dice them.
- Then heat some oil olive in a large pan and then add the cauliflower to the hot oil. Cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook the cauliflower and garlic for about 5 minutes so it’s still crunchy but not raw. Season with oregano and basil and then remove the cauliflower from the pan and set it aside to cool.
- Now add some more olive oil to your pan and heat it, adding the asparagus when the oil gets hot. Cover with a lid.
- Season with chili powder and cook for about 4-5 minutes. The asparagus will still be crunchy. Remove the asparagus from the oil and set it aside to cool.
- Make sure your pan has olive oil covering the bottom, and then add the zucchini to the pan, cooking uncovered only for about 2 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the pan and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
- Add more olive oil to the pan, and then add the peppers and onions. Cook uncovered about 3 minutes, and then remove the peppers from the oil and season with chili powder and salt. Set aside to cool.
- Add more olive oil to the pan if needed, and then saute the spinach uncovered for about 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the oil, add a little salt, and set aside to cool.
Step Four: Assemble the Salad
- After the pasta and vegetables have cooled down, combine them together in a large pan, mixing well.
- Mix in the crumbled feta cheese, diced parsley, and chilled salmon.
- Chill the pasta.
- Toss with salad dressing when you’re ready to serve it, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
