This tasty salad is an ode to the Fall season, and shines with flavor. When you’re short on time and dinner ideas, this crisp medley featuring pears, leeks and salmon cakes is balanced and delicious! You can check out a vegetarian version here!
Salmon is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory and have many health benefits including improving both cardiovascular and brain health (1, 2, 3). Studies have shown that getting these fatty-acids from food is even more beneficial than taking fish oil supplements (4) so enjoy these versatile salmon cakes as a wonderful addition to your meal planning!
Pears are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are essential for digestive health (5). Pears also contain antioxidants like quercetin that can boost heart health by improving blood pressure and cholesterol (6).
Leeks are another valuable source of soluble fiber (including prebiotics), which work to keep your gut healthy (7). They also contain antioxidant and antibacterial properties which support the immune system and may help prevent against developing certain diseases (8).
Another bonus – when you build your meals around protein and fiber combined with satisfying, nourishing ingredients like the ones in this recipe, the easier it is to avoid tempting high-sugar sweets and inadvertently overeating.
This salad is super easy to put together and there are lots of variations you can try depending on your preferences and what’s in season. Let me know how you like it!
Pear Leek Salad
Yield: 2 servings
You will need: large mixing bowl, mixing spoon, cutting board, knife, measuring cups and spoons, baking sheet, parchment paper, spatula
Key: T=Tablespoon; tsp=teaspoon 
Ingredients:
For the salmon cakes:
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (or non-dairy alternative)
- 2 5-oz cans wild caught salmon*
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/2 T Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 leeks, bottoms and dark green tops removed, leeks sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
- olive oil
For the salad:
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 5 oz spring mix (or greens of choice: mixed baby greens, arugula, spinach)
- 1 pear, sliced
- 1 oz organic pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Start by preparing the Salmon Cakes and Roasted Leeks:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix yogurt, salmon, flour, mustard, lemon juice, parsley, rosemary, onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper until combined.
- Scoop and form mixture into 6 even cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes on the top rack.
- While the salmon cakes are cooking, toss sliced leeks in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Once the salmon cakes are golden brown on one side, turn cakes over. Add leeks to the baking sheet with salmon cakes and roast in the oven, while the opposite side of the salmon cakes cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
- While the salmon cakes and leeks cook, make the dressing. In a separate bowl, whisk vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until fully combined.
- Remove salmon cakes and leeks from oven and let them cool.
Assemble the salad:
- Make the salad. Toss greens in a large bowl with dressing.
- Add 1/2 of the greens mixture to your plate. Top with 1/2 pear slices and 1/2 pumpkin seeds.
- Add 3 salmon cakes* and half of the roasted leeks to complete the salad. Enjoy!
*Optionally, you can use another protein, like my Turkey Sliders, oven baked salmon (maybe you have leftover salmon from dinner the night before), or another protein of your choice.
Nutrition Facts
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments below if you make it and how it turns out.
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- Calder, Philip C. “Marine omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes: Effects, mechanisms and clinical relevance.” Biochimica et biophysica acta vol. 1851,4 (2015): 469-84. doi:10.1016/j.bbalip.2014.08.010. Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25149823/
- Leaf, Alexander. “Historical overview of n-3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 87,6 (2008): 1978S-80S. doi:10.1093/ajcn/87.6.1978S. Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18541598/
- Cole, Greg M et al. “Omega-3 fatty acids and dementia.” Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids vol. 81,2-3 (2009): 213-21. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2009.05.015. Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19523795/
- Zibaeenezhad, Mohammad Javad et al. “Comparison of the effect of omega-3 supplements and fresh fish on lipid profile: a randomized, open-labeled trial.” Nutrition & diabetes vol. 7,12 1. 19 Dec. 2017, doi:10.1038/s41387-017-0007-8. Web. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5865539/
- Slavin, Joanne. “Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits.” Nutrients vol. 5,4 1417-35. 22 Apr. 2013, doi:10.3390/nu5041417. Web. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3705355/
- Patel, Rahul V et al. “Therapeutic potential of quercetin as a cardiovascular agent.” European journal of medicinal chemistry vol. 155 (2018): 889-904. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.06.053. Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29966915/
- Carlson, Justin L et al. “Health Effects and Sources of Prebiotic Dietary Fiber.” Current developments in nutrition vol. 2,3 nzy005. 29 Jan. 2018, doi:10.1093/cdn/nzy005. Web. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6041804/
- Bastaki, Salim M A et al. “Chemical constituents and medicinal properties of Allium species.” Molecular and cellular biochemistry vol. 476,12 (2021): 4301-4321. doi:10.1007/s11010-021-04213-2. Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34420186/