A bright and creamy lemon vinaigrette over kale with pan-seared salmon, avocado, and pumpkin seeds. This fresh kale salad is gluten free, paleo, aip, dairy free, and whole30.
Take the salmon out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Feel the flesh for any bones and remove with tweezers. Cut into 4 equal size fillets (4-oz each).
Discard the tough stems from the kale. Chop the leaves and pat dry with a clean cloth. Make the lemon vinaigrette in the blender and pour over the kale. Massage with your hands and season with salt. Taste as you do this until you love the way it tastes.
Cook the Salmon
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with olive oil (about 3 Tablespoons). When the oil is hot, season the fish generously with salt and pepper and begin to cook skin-side down for 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the flesh is opaque (anywhere from 3-6 minutes). Transfer to a plate to cool while you assemble the salad.
Assemble the Kale Salad
Give the kale another swirl in the bowl to sop up as much lemon dressing as possible and serve in bowls. Add freshly sliced avocado and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Season again with a pinch of salt and pepper and serve with the salmon torn into large pieces.