Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad. – Half Baked Harvest

Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad: Smoky, slightly spicy salmon, roasted with Cajun seasoning, tossed with the yummiest Caesar dressing, and topped with homemade breadcrumbs. The salad has a tahini-based Caesar dressing with toasted sesame seeds mixed in. It’s a great dinner from spring through summer YUM!

For the longest time, I avoided anything related to Caesar salad. As a kid, I had a very bad and quite memorable experience with Caesar salad.

I was out to lunch with my Nonnie on one of our usual Saturday lunch-shop dates. We always had a blast, I greatly miss those days! She took me to a Champps restaurant at an outdoor mall called Cocker Park back home in Cleveland. Being the odd child that I was, I ordered the Caesar salad with chicken.

I shoveled it down, thought it was pretty delicious, and then almost immediately, it all came right back up—in the front seat of Nonnie’s new car. She was so excited!

That was my only experience with food poisoning, and it scarred me for life.

But finally, a few years ago, I made my own Caesar salad, and now I love it so much. Today’s salad is made with my tahini Caesar dressing. I love a mayo-based dressing, but I wanted the tahini with this salad. It turned out so delicious. In fact, my dad said this was one of his favorite dishes in a while. I do add lots and lots of parmesan, so there’s that, too!

The Details

Ingredients

salmon

•  salmon
• cajun seasoning
• olive oil or melted butter

breadcrumbs and Salad

• ciabatta bread
• garlic
• salted butter
• mixed salad greens or shredded romaine
• fresh basil
• parmesan cheese
• toasted sesame seeds
• avocados

dressing

• extra virgin olive oil
• toasted sesame oil
• tahini
• lemon juice
• dijon mustard
• Worcestershire sauce
• grated garlic
• parmesan cheese

Special Tools

For this salad, it’s helpful if you have a food processor (20% off now on Amazon), but it’s also totally fine if you don’t! You will need a sheet pan and a couple of mixing bowls.

Steps

Step 1: cook the salmon

I season the salmon simply with Cajun seasoning, then add butter, and roast until crispy. That’s it! I wanted to keep the process and steps as simple as possible to make this quick!

Step 2: the breadcrumbs

I like to start with the breadcrumbs. Every salad is made better with crunchy breadcrumbs, especially a Caesar. You need that crunch.

I love making mine with torn ciabatta, garlic, and flaky sea salt, then adding butter. These breadcrumbs are so easy to make—simply toss and crisp in the oven. Homemade vs. store-bought are definitely worth a little extra effort.

Step 3: the dressing

While everything is baking, mix the dressing. Sometimes, I use a food processor, and sometimes, just a jar. Either way, mix everything until creamy.

Olive oil, toasted sesame oil, tahini, lemon juice, dijon, Worcestershire, garlic salt, pepper, and parmesan. The tahini is just as creamy as mayo but with some added flavor. It’s so addicting with the parmesan mixed in. It’s a great option for anyone who prefers not to use mayo!

Step 4: toss the salad

Next, the salad greens. My personal favorite mix is shredded romaine and arugula. Then, I always do the biggest handful of whatever fresh herbs I have on hand: basil, dill, cilantro, and/or parsley. I used basil for this salad!

When you’re ready to serve the salad, toss it with the dressing, then add the breadcrumbs, avocado, and salmon.

A gorgeous and delicious salad that requires little effort!

And if you’re hosting friends for dinner, you could also try this Lemon Parmesan Sesame Salad. It never disappoints and doubles as the prettiest centerpiece for any spring/summer table!

Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad

Melon Basil Burrata Salad

Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad

Lastly, if you make this Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!