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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

    Mackerel Salad (Caribbean Style)

    Last Updated January 31, 2023. Published June 18, 2022 By Charla Leave a Comment

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    A quick and easy salad consisting of smoked flaked mackerel, sweet potato, cho cho (christophine), onions, pear (avocado) served on a bed of lettuce with an optional spicy vinaigrette dressing.

    salad with two forks

    Here is another summer time salad which is brimming with flavour and packed with goodness.

    This isn't just any type of salad but one that has a healthy balance of high carbs from the use of sweet potato, fats from the dressing and avocado, protein from the fish and a nice low carb mix from the cho cho, lettuce, cucumber and onion.

    Salads can sometimes get a reputation for being boring and not very filling which why people may turn their nose up at them.

    I purposely made sure this salad had the right mixture of carbs, protein and fats so you get the right balance of each one.

    I won't deny that mackerel is very pungunt, to me it has one of the strongest fish smells that I use to hate when I was younger.

    If you can get over the strong smell and appreciate it's many health benefits then you will learn to love it.

    For this recipe I am using smoked mackerel fillets that has already been cooked. What I like to do as part of the preparation is to grill the mackerel for a few minutes just to give it some crispiness.

    Of course this is an optional step so you don't have to follow suit.

    dressing drizzled on the salad

    Fresh vs canned

    With the cost of living skyrocking you may want to opt for canned mackerel rather than its fresh counterpart.

    No problem! Both variations of mackerel will work for this salad. The canned version has a more shredded texture and can sometimes come in its own oils.

    Whatever version you use, is up to you! I personally refer fresh mackerel, the cost is higher but I like the texture and taste better.

    Both contain the same amount of omega 3 fats, high levels of protein, B vitamins and other essential minerals.

     The canned stuff can last for months where as the fresh ones have a short shelf life. Therefore, there is that element of longivity that might be a selling point so that's something you may want to consider.

    The steps

    steps 1-4 steaming the vegetables and preparing the salad bed with dressing
    • Arrange the lettuce, avocado (pear), cucumber and onion in 4 separate bowls and set aside.
    • Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes by either boiling them or steaming on medium heat in a medium sized saucepan until fork tender (should take about 10-15 minutes).
    • Drain the water off the potatoes and cho cho and allow to cool.
    • Once cooled arrange the potatoes, cho cho and flaked mackerel onto the salad bed.
    • Prepare the dressing by combining and whisking the extra virgin olive oil, agave nectar, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, thyme, garlic granules, black pepper and pink salt in a small bowl.
    • Drizzle the dressing all over each salad bowl and serve accordingly.

    Note and tips

    • Keep the salad refrigerated if you don't plan on eating it straight away.
    • You can bring this salad on the go with you by storing it in a Mason jar.
    • If you can't get hold of cho cho/christophine and zucchini/courgette works just fine.
    • You can get cho cho/christophine from any market/supermarket in any Caribbean neighbourhood.
    • You can use canned mackerel instead which is more cost effective than using fillets.
    • You can use any other type of vinegar in place of balsamic.
    2 bowls of salad with cucubers and dressing on the side

    More salads to try

    • Green Fig Salad (Green Banana Salad)
    • Vegan Bean Salad
    • Jamaican Roasted Ackee Salad
    • Jamaican Potato Salad
    • Caribbean Salt Fish Salad
    • Low Carb Keto Shrimp Salad
    • Vegan Caribbean Salad
    • Prawn and Mango Salad
    • Egg Leafy Green Salad

    **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    salad with in a blue bowl

    Mackerel Salad (Caribbean Style)

    A quick and easy salad consisting of smoked flaked mackerel, sweet potato, cho cho (christophine), onions, pear (avocado) served on a bed of lettuce with an optional spicy vinaigrette dressing.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Lunch and Salads
    Cuisine: Caribbean
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 686kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    • 4 smoked mackerel fillets
    • 1 large sweet potato chopped
    • ½ cho cho (christophine) chopped
    • 1 large head of iceberg lettuce chopped
    • 2 avocado (pear) chopped
    • ½ cucumber chopped
    • ½ onion thinly sliced and sauteed

    Spicy Viniagrette Dressing

    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (54g)
    • 1 tablespoon agave nectar (32g) maple syrup works too
    • 2-3 tsp hot sauce (8g)
    • 1 teaspoon thyme (2g) fresh or dried
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic granules (0.5g)
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (0.5g)
    • ¼ teaspoon pink salt (1.5g)

    Instructions

    • Arrange the lettuce, avocado (pear), cucumber and onion in 4 separate bowls and set aside.
    • Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes by either boiling them or steaming on medium heat in a medium sized saucepan until fork tender (should take about 10-15 minutes).
    • Drain the water off the potatoes and cho cho and allow to cool.
    • Once cooled arrange the potatoes, cho cho and flaked mackerel onto the salad bed.
    • Prepare the dressing by combining and whisking the extra virgin olive oil, agave nectar, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, thyme, garlic granules, black pepper and pink salt in a small bowl.
    • Drizzle the dressing all over each salad bowl and serve accordingly.

    Notes

    • Keep the salad refrigerated if you don't plan on eating it straight away.
    • You can bring this salad on the go with you by storing it in a Mason jar.
    • If you can't get hold of cho cho/christophine and zucchini/courgette works just fine.
    • You can get cho cho/christophine from any market/supermarket in any Caribbean neighbourhood.
    • You can use canned mackerel instead which is more cost effective than using fillets.
    • You can use any other type of vinegar in place of balsamic.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 80g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 32g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 565mg | Potassium: 1736mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 9095IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!
    « Green Fig Salad (Green Banana Salad) (Vegan)
    Yuca en Escabeche »
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

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    Greetings

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes. Learn more about me

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