Salmon and Couscous Salad with Tomato Confit Vinaigrette
Sep 28, 2025 06:52 AM
When I’ve made a batch of Cherry Tomato Confit, I love to use it to make this Couscous Salad with Pan-seared Salmon. Tossed with baby spinach, toasted pine nuts, and crumbled goat cheese, this salad is a showstopper!
I’m fortunate to live in an area with an abundance of fresh seafood. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t pay a visit to my local fishmonger. I have my favorites, but I try to never walk into the market completely set on what I’m going to buy.
Last week, I found myself tempted by a display of beautifully-marbled organic salmon. I had actually gone to the market to get swordfish steaks to serve with the Cherry Tomato Confit I’d made over the weekend, but the salmon was calling to me.
I decided instead to use the confit to make tomato vinaigrette and use it to dress salmon and couscous salad. Perfect for summer lunch, brunch, or a light dinner.
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe cherry tomato confit
- 1 to 1-1/4 pound center-cut salmon fillets , 2-3 fillets, pan-seared
For the Vinaigrette
- ½ cup cherry tomato confit , drained of oil
- 2 garlic cloves from the tomato confit
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon finely-grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil from the cherry tomato confit
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
For the Couscous
- 2 teaspoons olive oil from cherry tomato confit
- 1-1/4 cups Israeli couscous ("pearl" couscous)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1-1/2 cups lightly-packed baby spinach leaves , roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup chopped shallots
To Assemble and Serve the Salad
- ½ cup cherry tomato confit , drained of oil
- 2 ounces toasted pine nuts
- 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- fresh dill and parsley , to garnish
Cherry Tomato Confit
- 2-1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes
- 4 large garlic cloves , smashed and peeled
- 1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus additional, if needed)
- 1 teaspoon kosher or fine-flaked sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme
Perfectly Pan Seared Salmon
- 2 skin-on salmon fillets (6 to 8 ounces each, 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick, pin bones removed and skin descaled)
- 1-2 tablespoons neutral, high-smoking point oil, such as canola
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Prep Time:
50 minutes
Cook Time:
172 minutes
Total Time:
235 minutes
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