Salmon Caesar Salad Rice Bowls

These Salmon Caesar Rice Bowls are half Caesar salad, half rice bowl! They’re made with a base of kale and romaine, and they’re topped with a super light Caesar vinaigrette. The rice and smoky spice rubbed salmon make it a complete meal!

This is one of those recipes that was completely an accident..in the best way. I absolutely LOVE these bowls and have eaten them an embarrassing number of times since I developed them! They were born from me being hangry and putting everything I had leftover in the fridge in a bowl. No joke!

In college, I ate a lot of salads with rice in them, and I forgot how much I loved that until now! It just gives them an extra little something and staying power. And, I just need my carbs. I’d always ask for a scoop of rice in my salad in the dining hall, and they always looked at me like I was strange. But you have to try it!

So it all starts with this super simple, easy Caesar dressing! It’s on the healthier side too, which is always a win. It’s made with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise and/or a lot of oil. It’s more of a Caesar vinaigrette! It’s incredibly delicious and you likely have most everything on hand! And there’s no anchovies, because I am not a fan of them, but you could always add them if you love them!

My next favorite part of this salad is the mixture of kale and romaine. I love having multiple types of lettuces in my salad to give it a little interest and texture difference, and this is my favorite combination. You get the heartiness of kale, and the freshness and crunch of romaine. It’s absolute perfection.

Both the greens are on the heartier side, so they stand up well to the dressing and the salmon. AND the rice!

This is no sad salad.

The salmon! It’s rubbed with a mixture of paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper, and it’s my new favorite all-purpose seasoning. It has the perfect amount of smokiness and spice and it tastes amazing with the salmon.

It almost acts like a blackening seasoning and it crusts the fish so beautifully when you sear it!

So yeah. Back to why this is was an accident! I had leftover kale, romaine, and salmon from dinner the other night, and some Caesar dressing sitting in the fridge, and several day old rice. So, I just threw everything together. And I COULD NOT believe how good it was! And then this salad/rice bowl was born!

I really struggled with what to call this, because it is half salad, half rice bowl. But it’s more of a salad. So I went with Salmon Caesar Salad Rice Bowls!

Either way, they’re freaking delicious.

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Salmon Caesar Salad Rice Bowls

These Salmon Caesar Rice Bowls are half Caesar salad, half rice bowl! They're made with a base of kale and romaine, and they're topped with a super light Caesar vinaigrette. The rice and smoky spice rubbed salmon make it a complete meal!

Course Main Course, Salad, Seafood

Cuisine Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 527 kcal

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the bowls

• 1 cup white jasmine rice
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1 head romaine, chopped
• 1 pound salmon filet
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

For the dressing

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Bring water a boil in a medium saucepan. Season with a healthy pinch of salt. Once boiling, add the rice, stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes before removing the lid.

2. Make the dressing. Combine the garlic, Greek yogurt, horseradish, Worcestershire, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth. 

3. Add kale to a large bowl and drizzle with 1/3 of the dressing. Massage the leaves between your fingers to soften the kale and infuse the flavor in the leaves. Add the romaine and toss to combine.

4. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub salmon filet on all sides with the spice mixture, pressing to adhere. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the salmon and sear 4-5 minutes per side, depending on how thick your filet is, until cooked through. 

5. To serve, place kale and romaine in bowls, top with a scoop of rice, the salmon, a drizzle of caesar dressing, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve!

Recipe Notes

*Nutrition is calculated with half of the rice and all of the dressing (you will likely have leftovers, as it makes a lot of rice.)

Nutrition Facts

Salmon Caesar Salad Rice Bowls

Amount Per Serving (1 of 4 servings)

Calories 527 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Sodium 167mg7%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 28g56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.