Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers

So simple! Just smoked salmon on a bed of barely tangy pickled cucumbers that not only "looks" cool, you'll barely break a sweat assembling the handful of ingredients onto plates. Stay cool, people, stay cool!

Memorable Homestyle Whole Food, Little Effort, Big Reward. Beautiful Color! Mere Minutes to the Table. Another Quick Supper, a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Not just easy, Summer Easy. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two. Low Carb. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

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Stayin' Chill During a Steamy Summer

How do you stay cool during a hot-hot summer?

• My grandmother set a block of ice in front of a fan to help her four children sleep better on hot nights.
• My sister recommends wearing wet socks to bed, even a damp t-shirt.
• Me, I’m all for keeping the oven on “off” and the supper on “fast” and “light”.

And that's how this simple salad supper came to be, a light meal that's cool as a (cough, cough) cucumber and thanks to layers of both vegetables and protein, perfectly filling.

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Recipe Overview: Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers

• This is a salad that knows how to impress — rich smoked salmon brings the luxe; quick-pickled cucumbers add tangy crunch; roasted peppers lend sweet depth. It’s vibrant, fresh and ready in a flash, a salad version for lox and bagel lovers. Perfect for brunch, lunch or a no-sweat supper, this dish is pure flavor with hardly any effort.

• Diet Needs & Choices = Pescatarian. (Huh what? That means it's suitable for those who eat fish but not red meat or poultry.) It's also naturally gluten-free but please, if you're cooking for someone with celiac or a gluten sensitivity, be extra cautious about both reading ingredient labels and cross contamination (your hands, your fridge environment, your counters, your knives, your bowls, your stirring spoons, your serving plates and utensils).
• Distinctive Ingredients = Smoked Salmon (lox or gravlax not hot-smoked salmon) + Cucumbers + Roasted Pepper
• Short Ingredient List = all the above + white wine vinegar + water + sugar + cream + fresh herbs
• For Garnish = fresh herbs + olives + capers
• Kitchen Tools = Just a cutting board and a knife + a bowl for mixing
• Hands-On Time = Allow about 15 minutes to prep the salad.
• Total Time = It's ready to go in 15 minutes, how (ahem) cool is that?!
• Tasting with our Eyes = This is a really pretty composed salad, the pretty orange salmon, the red peppers, the fresh herbs.
• Texture = The cucumbers are a bit wet and crunchy, the salmon and peppers have a similar consistency, you'll definitely want a fork and knife to cut these into bite-size pieces.
• Taste = The lightly pickled cucumbers contrast really well with the rich salmon and the soft roasted pepper.
• Techniques = The single technique that might be new to some is the concept of "quick pickling" a vegetable (here, cucumbers) by soaking in a vinegar-based pickling liquid for just a few minutes. This leaves just a very light taste of pickle, not the strong taste if the vegetables were to soak in the pickling liquid longer.
• Time Friendly = This is definitely a time-friendly recipe!
• Shop Your Pantry = With the exception of the smoked salmon, which should be purchased no more than a day or two ahead of time, this is a pantry-friendly recipe.
• Watching Our Waistlines = This is a calorie-friendly recipe, just 150 calories with 17 grams of protein!
• Makes = about 4 servings, possibly 2 or 3 if someone at the table has a bigger appetite.
• Small Households = This recipe works especially well for those Cooking for One or Two. It's easy to pick up just a few ounces of smoked salmon, after that, everything easily scales down.
• So good! I hope you love it!


• Looking for other salad suppers with fish or seafood? I'm smitten with this Cold Shrimp in Creamy Dill Sauce with Capers.
• Not quite what you're looking for? Check out my other salmon recipes.

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The Olive Bar Is Our Friend

The grocery store’s olive bar (and its sidekick the salad bar) is a welcome convenience when you need just a bite or two of some ingredient.

For a chill Smoked Salmon Salad, pick up a few olives and a couple of roasted red peppers. (If you like, here’s How to Roast Peppers in the Oven, including tips on the best oil for roasting peppers. Or if you're roasting just a single pepper or two, here's an excellent technique, How to Roast a Pepper on a Gas Stove.)

And even though homemade Olivada is ever so easy, when I just need a smidge, I'm happy as an olive to pick up a small scoop from the olive bar.

The Flavor Bible

With the garden already spitting out cucumbers like a double-barreled shotgun, this salad was inspired by The Flavor Bible, a gift from Elise from Simply Recipes. The Flavor Bible is a great reference book, no recipes per se, simply a suggestion of flavors that complement individual ingredients. For intuitive cooks, just an idea or two, that’s all it takes and supper’s on the table. I live in awe.

RESOURCES The Flavor Bible My Disclosure Promise

Why I Love This Recipe & You Might Too

• SIMPLE INGREDIENTS Just my favorite smoked salmon (lox) and vegetables, assembled in a thoughtful, attractive way.
• SO FAST! There aren't many meals that are so intentional and yet take mere minutes to assemble and serve.
• USEFUL In summer, this is my favorite last-minute lunch or early supper with a friend or two. Add some good bread and a crisp white wine ... heaven.
• Ready to get started? Here's your recipe!

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QUICK SUPPER:
SMOKED SALMON SALAD with
QUICK-PICKLED CUCUMBERS & ROASTED PEPPERS

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4

QUICK PICKLES
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cream
• Fresh herbs, chopped – dill and basil work beautifully
• 1 – 2 cucumbers (about 1 pound), peeled (or striped) and sliced in thin rounds

ASSEMBLE
• 2 roasted red peppers, cut into four wide swaths
• 12 ounces smoked salmon (gravlax aka lox not hot-smoked salmon), cut into four wide slices
• More fresh herbs for garnish
• Olives & capers for garnish

CUCUMBERS In a large bowl, stir together the cucumber ingredients. Let rest while gathering the remaining ingredients.

ASSEMBLE With tongs, lift out some cucumber slices and arrange a bed of cucumber on each plate. Top each bed with a swath of roasted pepper and a slice of smoked salmon. Sprinkle fresh herbs, olives and a few capers on top.

SERVING SUGGESTION Serve with strips of Fried Bread schmeared with cream cheese on the side.

ALANNA’s TIPS Make mini versions of this supper salad for an appetizer portion. This salad is already a riff on lox and bagels but to move it even closer, sprinkle the salmon with capers and finely chopped red onion, then use bagel slices to make the Fried Bread. Usually, I love texture contrast in salads but in this case, the smoked salmon and roasted red peppers have a much similar mouthfeel and work beautifully together.

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. Confused about salt, these days? No wonder, it is confusing. Check my FAQs for an explanation. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.kitchenparade.com/2010/07/smoked-salmon-salad.html .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving, assumes 4: 149 Calories; 6g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 24mg Cholesterol; 727mg Sodium; 7g Carb; 1g Fiber; 3g Sugar; 17g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 3 & PointsPlus 4 & SmartPoints 4 & Freestyle 1 & myWW green 3 & blue 1 & purple 1 & future WW points

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Seasonal Cooking & Eating During the Peak of Summer

KITCHEN PARADE
Parmesan Chicken Chicken Veggie Quesadillas Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens Mom's Blueberry Coffeecake (<< for the weekend, maybe?) Baked Bacon Two-Bite Brownies Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers Deviled Eggs with Tomato-Herb Relish Greek Pasta Salad (<< great for potlucks) Bloody Caesar (Canada's Bloody Mary) St. Louis Pork Steaks Best-Ever Macaroni Salad Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
~ more Recent Recipes ~

A VEGGIE VENTURE
Beet Röesti Zucchini Mushroom Hominy Tacos (< < Meatless Monday staple) Cream of Dandelion Soup English Peas with Fresh Mint How to Cook Artichokes in the Microwave (< < Pinterest loves it!) Edamame in the Shell Greek Bread Salad with Toasted Pita Chips (< < this week's healthy favorite!) Bourbon-Glazed Roasted Carrots Savory Muffins with Sweet Potato & Feta How To Steam Broccoli (Step-by-Step Photos) Kale Recipes Thomas the Tank Engine Vegetable Trains Vegetables 101: What Are Crudites? Greek Rice Salad with Artichokes & Feta
~ more Recent Recipes ~

If you like Kitchen Parade's recipes, you'll love A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables with more from-scratch recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, home to the famous Alphabet of Vegetables and vegetables in every course, seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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More Cold Suppers for a Hot-Hot Summer

• THE RECIPE Cold Shrimp in Creamy Dill Sauce with Capers Shrimp in a "creamy" dill sauce that tastes much richer than it is. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Shrimp Salad Recipes A concept recipe, good for supper, better still the next day.

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Hummus Salad Another Quick Supper, just a light, loose hummus topped with chickpeas, fresh summer vegetables and feta. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Plates A summery Quick Supper, no cooking required, just assembly. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE BLT Pasta Salad A fresh approach for a summer favorite.
• ANOTHER TAKE Garden Pasta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette Light on pasta, generous with summer's best fresh veggies. (PIN This)

• THE COLLECTION Favorite Summer Salad Recipes From sides to suppers, make-ahead to eat-it-now, simple to sumptuous, all special for summer. (PIN This)
• AND ANOTHER Favorite Summer Soup Recipes Gazpachos, summer chowders, cold soups, raw blender soups, fruit soups, so many soups! (PIN This)

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More Ways to Stay Cool – Easy Summer Recipes

~ Blueberry Salsa ~
~ Thai Cantaloupe Salad ~
~ Easy Fruit Salad ~
~ more Easy Summer recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

~ Grilled Tomato & Pepper Salad ~
~ Green Smoothies ~
~ Caponata (Sicilian Eggplant) ~
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog

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Recent Favorites from A Veggie Venture

~ Southwestern Potato Salad ~
~ Weight Watchers Spinach Dip ~

"Summer Easy"
~ Chilled Green Bean Salad with Rosemary & Garlic Oil ~
~ Raw Beet Sandwiches ~

If you like Kitchen Parade's recipes, you'll love A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables with more from-scratch recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, home to the famous Alphabet of Vegetables and vegetables in every course, seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ salmon recipes ~
~ cucumber recipes ~
~ bell pepper recipes ~
~ olive recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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