Asian Spinach Salad with Salmon and Edamame

As summer draws to a close, people are enjoying the last of the season's bounty by utilizing all of the fruits and vegetables they can. This salad pays homage to the joy that summer brings with its lightness and the greenness of the ingredients. The dressing is the star of the show, combining classic Asian-styled ingredients like soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and the zing of freshly grated ginger. This is a pretty healthy dish too - you can substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce if you are watching your gluten intake, like I am. Serve as a main dish with bread or cooked pasta as a side, or serve as a side dish to things like grilled chicken or pork dishes.

Asian Spinach Salad with Salmon and Edamame

Dressing:

3 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce (or reduced sodium gluten-free tamari)

3 tbsp. rice or white wine vinegar

1½ tbsp. honey

1/3 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)

½" piece fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated

1/8 tsp. sea or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Salad:

1 heaping tbsp. sesame seeds

8 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups shelled edamame, cooked

3 scallions, thinly sliced

12 oz. canned or pouch salmon, drained

¼ cup fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley, picked apart

Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Toast the sesame seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium low heat about 5 minutes, stirring often.

In a large mixing bowl, toss all the salad ingredients. Dress lightly with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side, serves 4 as a main

NOTE:  You can easily substitute cooked shrimp or shredded rotisserie chicken to this salad if you don't care for salmon. Personal opinion is that if you are going to use salmon, cook your own fillet instead of using canned or pouched.