Most Delicious Cajun Cesar Salad Boats Dinner You’ll Make.
It’s hard to beat a good salad at dinner, especially when it’s healthy and packed full of flavor. This cajun salmon and quinoa bowl is the perfect example of that.
It’s got all the deliciousness you crave in a meal, but with fewer carbs than your average chicken or steak dinner!
Cajun Salad Preparation
To begin, you’ll need to set out your ingredients. For the best cajun salad:
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (or 2 cups uncooked)
- 1 cup cooked black beans (or 1 can drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved or diced into small pieces
- 1/4 red onion, chopped fine – save some for garnish at end of cooking process if desired!
Now it’s time to prepare your marinade for the salmon fillets that will be added later on in this recipe! This part is super easy and fast – just open up your cans of tuna fish and drain them into a bowl. To this bowl add two tablespoons of olive oil along with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix everything together well until all ingredients are combined. Set aside until ready to use later on in recipe!
Serving Suggestion
Enjoy with a side of rice, cornbread, beans, quinoa or chicken. Or try it with shrimp on the side!
Prep – 1 hour
- Marinade the salmon with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and some spices
- Marinade the quinoa and beans with olive oil, lemon juice and some spices
- Cut up your veggies (I used tomatoes, cucumber and green onion) and toss them in a bowl with some olive oil and salt
- Get the quinoa and beans going on the stove according to package directions
- Chop up your avocado into small cubes or slices (whatever you prefer!)
- Prepare dressing by combining mayo, lime juice, cilantro and hot sauce in a bowl
For the Salmon
This is the recipe you will need to make the salad that goes with the salmon.
- Marinate salmon in cajun seasoning:
- a) Place salmon fillets in a glass dish and top each piece with ½ teaspoon of cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare other ingredients (the longer you leave it, the more flavourful your fish will be). If desired, place a pan on medium heat under hot grill; add butter or oil; cook fillets for 10 minutes until cooked through and golden brown on both sides (you can also use an oven preheated at 200°C/390°F).
- Cook quinoa according to instructions on pack then set aside for 5 minutes before adding black beans and avocado slices – see below for how much should be added per person depending on whether using white or red quinoa.
For the Quinoa and Black beans
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup cooked red bell pepper, diced
1 cup yellow squash, diced
1 cup zucchini, diced
For the Dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Let sit for 10 minutes so that flavors meld.
For the Stir Fry Veggies
You’ll need:
- One head of romaine lettuce
- 3 cups of chopped stir fry veggies (broccoli, red bell pepper, carrots, snap peas)
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
Start by preparing the veggies. Cut them into bite-sized pieces so that they’ll fit nicely inside the boats. Once your veggies are cut up and ready to go, cook them in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat until they’re tender but still have some crunch. If you have time before serving lunch or dinner, cover and let them sit on the stovetop until you’re ready to assemble each salad boat!
To serve up your Cajun Salad
It’s time to gather the ingredients and serve up your Cajun Salad.
- Place the salad on a plate or in a bowl and top it with the salmon fillet.
- Add quinoa and black beans over the top of the salad.
- Add stir fry veggies over the top of that (we used broccoli, mushrooms, red bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash).
- Top with dressing—it is especially delicious with our Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce!
A great healthy salad for dinner
Salad is a great choice for dinner. Not only is it healthy and nutritious, but it’s also easy to make, and easy to eat. Salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days and makes a great lunch option too!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It’s great for a meal or snack, and even better for entertaining guests! If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out our other recipes! We have a wide variety of easy and healthy recipes for every meal of the day.
