Smoked Salmon & Watercress Salad With Red Onion-Caper Vinaigrette

13 Reviews

“Start with a salad of smoked salmon and watercress. Try to buy the commercial bagged watercress that already has been cleaned to speed things along, or you may substitute other mixed salad greens. (I like to make sure there are some bitter ones, such as radicchio and arugula, along with milder greens, such as butter lettuce or baby spinach.) Also, because this is such a simple salad, all the ingredients should be top-quality. So spring for the best smoked salmon you can find.” - by USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup drained capers
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups watercress (preferably the kind that's already trimmed, rinsed, bagged)
6 ounces smoked salmon, torn or cut into bite-size pieces

Hide Checklist

Directions

Mix lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste in a 1-quart Pyrex measuring cup. Add capers and onion; toss to coat. Slowly add oil, pushing onion aside and beating with a small whisk or fork to form a thick dressing.
Mix watercress and half the salmon in a large bowl. When ready to serve, pour dressing over watercress and salmon; toss to coat. Arrange on salad plates, garnishing each with remaining smoked salmon.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (8 total)

Calories
162 cal
8%

Fat
15 g
23%

Carbs
2.2 g
< 1%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Reviews (13)

Rate This Recipe

SMALLANGIE

Jun. 19, 2005

"The dressing turned out to be too sour for me, so I added 1 teaspoon of honey to the mixture. In addition, I added sliced of cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, and used Dole's Spring Mix instead of waterc..." See moreress. It was delicious."

KOALAGIRL

Nov. 9, 2007

"I'm rating this on the vinaigrette more so than the salad because the salad as written is quite simple. I made the dressing a day ahead of time to let the flavors meld. It is quite pungent with the ..." See morered onions, dijon mustard, capers, lemon juice, and rice wine vinegar. But those strong flavors complement the simple salad perfectly! In addition to the lettuce and smoked salmon, I threw in pinenuts, grape tomatoes cut in half, and one avocado cubed. The creamy avocado and fresh smoked salmon were fabulous together. This is truly a salad fit for a meal!"