This smoked mackerel salad is packed with healthy ingredients like quinoa, beans and courgette. It makes the perfect summer lunch or dinner.
This salad is summer in a bowl ☀️
I have always loved smoked mackerel, it adds the most amazing flavour to dishes and is such an easy ingredient to add to recipes for an extra kick.
I love it in loads of recipes including this mackerel pasta salad but I think it shines so well in a simple salad like this one with some of my favourite filling ingredients and a creamy dressing.
I honestly can't imagine a more perfect situation than sitting in the sunshine eating a bowl of this salad, maybe with a glass of wine just to make it even more dreamy.
Why we love this smoked mackerel salad...
It's a really easy recipe which just requires you to cook some quinoa, whisk together a dressing and griddle some courgette, then you're ready to toss everything together and eat.
We also love how versatile this recipe is. If you're not a fan of smoked mackerel you could use grilled mackerel fillets or a tin of tuna. You could even leave out the mackerel altogether and still have a deliciously tasty salad.
This is a lovely healthy recipe which is perfect for a summer lunch or dinner or as a side at a BBQ or picnic.
This recipe is also naturally gluten and dairy free and can easily be made vegan by leaving out the mackerel.
Mackerel and Quinoa Salad Ingredients
Quinoa: This is cooked according to packet instructions then left to cool. You can easily replace with another grain if you prefer.
Courgette: I like to thinly slice this lengthways and cook on a griddle pan until soft then season really well. Alternatively another green vegetable like asparagus would work amazingly.
Smoked Mackerel: For a recipe like this go for the fresh stuff you can buy in the fridge section of supermarkets rather than tinned.
White Beans: I went for haricot beans because I love the size and texture in this salad but any bean like butter or cannellini would also work.
Aleppo Chilli Flakes: This is one of our favourite ingredients and we always have it on hand. If you can't get any then you could switch for regular chilli flakes but you'll need to reduce the amount quite a bit as aleppo chilli flakes are much milder. We buy ours from our local Turkish supermarket or I've linked some below.
Dressing: This is a simple combination of tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and honey. It's the perfect combination of creamy, tangy sweetness.
How to make smoked mackerel and courgette salad
Cook the quinoa: Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions then fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
Griddle the courgette: Heat a griddle with a drizzle of olive oil and cook the courgette slices in batches until softened then season well. If you don't have a griddle pan you can use a frying pan, you just won't have the grill marks on the courgette.
Make the dressing: Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and season to taste. Put all of the salad ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with dressing, toss well and serve.
Equipment you need to make this recipe...
Want more? Try these other salad recipes!
- Winter Salad with Spicy Butternut Squash
- Tuna Salad with Garlic Toasts
- Roast Vegetable Salad with Halloumi
- Cobb Salad with Pasta & Roasted Chickpeas
- Orzo Pasta Salad with Salmon
- Radish Salad
Smoked Mackerel Salad with Quinoa
Ingredients
- 200 g Quinoa
- 1-2 Courgettes thinly sliced lengthways
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 280 g Smoked Mackerel flaked
- 1 400g tin White Beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoon Aleppo Chilli Flakes
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoon Tahini
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 3-4 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Honey
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside to cool.
- While the quinoa cooks heat a griddle pan with a drizzle of oil and griddle the courgette slices in batches for a couple of minutes on each side until softened. Season well.
- Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and season well.
- Put the quinoa, mackerel, beans, chilli flakes and courgette in a large bowl and toss together. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again then tip out onto a serving platter and serve.
Notes
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Lisa Huff says
How sad is it that I've never made mackerel?! Looks like the perfect recipe to give it a try!
Liz says
I've been trying to get my husband to eat more quinoa and he loves seafood so this recipe is perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Cyndy says
I love a salad that can be a full meal and this one has it all - so much protein but also beautiful green zucchini from my garden. Thanks for the inspiration!
Kushigalu says
Perfect salad recipe to try this summer. So flavorful and delicious
Tawnie Kroll says
This was so flavorful and just what I needed on a hot summer day - thank you!