This Easy Miso Salmon Quinoa Bowl is a Love Letter to Slop Bowl USA!
This is a slop bowl appreciation post. I have not always been kind to Sweetgreen in the past because I was underwhelmed by their protein lineup. But that changed once they added miso glazed salmon to their roster! While I prefer to eat my salads at home, I like knowing that I can pop into a Sweetgreenand get something tasty and satisfying, fast. In fact, this Miso Salmon Quinoa Bowl with Sweetgreen Copycat Spicy Broccoli & Green Goddess Ranch Dressings is based on my EXACT Sweetgreen order (you didn’t think I ordered off their pre-fab menu, did you?). It’s got everything I actually want in a salad: quinoa, a little greenery, miso-glazed salmon, and my renditions of their iconic spicy broccoli, and green goddess ranch dressing.
Don’t do dairy? Swap in one of these dairy free dressing recipes:
5-6leavesbasil, chiffonade (sliced thinly into ribbons)
1 1/2cupsdiced cucumber
Green Goddess Ranch Dressing
8 oz.2% Greek Yogurt
2scallions, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1lemon, juiced
1/4tspsugar
1/2tspgranulated garlic
1tbspextra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Cool water
1cupmixed tender fresh herbs, leaves only (I used dill, tarragon, and parsley)
black pepper
Spicy Broccoli
1 lb.broccoli florets
2 tbspchili crisp
2tbsp toasted sesame oil
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the miso paste, seasoned rice vinegar, honey and 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil.
Cut the salmon into 3 evenly sized fillets and place in a small glass dish (I use a glass storage container). Coat the salmon with the miso marinade. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 3 and up to 24 hours.
Prepare the Spicy Broccoli: Cut the broccoli into 1-inch florets. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and then enough water so the bowl is three-quarters full. Line a dinner plate with a clean dishtowel or a few sheets of paper towel. In a medium-sized pot, bring 3 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to a boil. Once the water boils, add half of the broccoli and cook until bright green (this should happen in 30-45 seconds). Using a spider strainer or something similar (a regular strainer will work, just not as well), remove the broccoli and plunge it into the ice bath. Repeat to cook the remaining broccoli. Drain the broccoli, then place onto the towel lined plate. Gently blot the broccoli dry to remove any excess moisture. This is an essential step. If you don’t do this, the dressing will just slip right off. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame oil and chili crisp. Cut the broccoli into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the bowl with the sesame oil chili crisp mixture.
Prepare the Green Goddess Ranch Dressing: Blend together the yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, granulated garlic and a scant 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt. If the dressing seems too thick, add water about 1 tsp at a time. Add the fresh herbs and blend again. Add pepper and more salt to taste.
Remove the salmon from the marinade and wipe it gently with a paper towel. You don’t want it to be bone dry, but you don’t want too much marinade clinging to it.
Cook the Salmon: Arrange the salmon evenly spaced in your air fryer basket, and cook at 400° (F), until it is your desired degree of doneness, about 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through cook time. I always test the salmon’s doneness using an instant read thermometer. 125–130°F (52–54°C) will give you “medium” (moist and slightly translucent center) salmon and 135°F (57°C) will give you “well-done” (more opaque and firm) salmon. If you prefer your salmon cooked all the way through (I do because I serve it to a small child), cook the salmon to 145°(F), per the USDA recommendation.
Build the Bowls: Combine the arugula (I like to chop mine up a bit) and cooked quinoa. Divide between 3 bowls. Top each bowl with equal amounts of spicy broccoli, avocado, cucumber, miso salmon and basil. Pass around Green Goddess Ranch Dressing.