Poached Salmon with Creamy Cucumber-Dill Salad

Well, I was in denial for most of our remarkably mild May, but summer is finally upon us in full force here in the Valley of the Sun. After schlepping around running errands all day in the triple-digit heat, I wanted to make something for dinner that was light but filling, and easy to throw together with minimal clean up. And boy, did this one score on all four points. Straight outta Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution (I warned you!), here is Poached Salmon with Creamy Cucumber-Dill Salad.

First, make an aluminum foil sling: Tear off about a foot and a half of aluminum foil, then fold it in half width-wise and line the bottom of your slow cooker insert with it. The sides should come up a few inches (see second photo); this will hold your poaching liquid and help moderate the cooking process. Mince your dill (save the stems!) and slice one lemon.

Place lemon slices in one layer on top of sling, then top with reserved dill stems. Gently pour wine (I used sauvignon blanc) into sling, then add enough water so that the liquid level is even with the top of the lemon slices. You don't want your salmon to be actually submerged in the liquid. Then go ahead and pour yourself a glass of wine, too. You have almost an entire bottle left to drink, better get started!

Next, I sliced a 12 oz salmon fillet length-wise so the two fillets are the same thickness throughout. This helps ensure even cooking. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place the fillets skin side down on top of the lemon arrangement. Cover and cook on low for about one hour. At the 45 minute mark, start checking to see if the salmon is done. It should be opaque throughout and flake with the tip of a paring knife. Mine took 90 minutes to cook to medium (135 degrees F).

In the meantime, slice up your cucumber, then combine with the yogurt, lemon juice, and minced dill, and season with salt and pepper. Stick the cucumber salad in the fridge while the salmon finishes cooking.

When the salmon is opaque, flaky, and 135 degrees F, carefully remove the sling from the slow cooker. Transfer the salmon to a plate using a spatula, removing the dill stems and lemon slices. Serve with the chilled cucumber salad. I also added a nice kale side salad to our dinner, along with a slice of Sprouts bakery bread for a little treat. This plate of food kept us f.u.l.l. for the rest of the night. I know that gargantuan side salad is making the salmon look a little puny, but trust me, it was so big I could hardly finish it.

Make it work for you

Ok, so this is a recipe that can truly work for anyone and everyone. There's only a few minutes of prep to get the salmon cooking, then you can tackle the cucumber salad. I had time to prepare that, on top of chopping up some veggies for our kale salad, and slicing a few pieces of bread, AND I got all the dishes done AND took care of some laundry while the salmon was poaching. By the time we got done eating, all we had to do was stick our dinner dishes in the dishwasher and wash the slow cooker insert, which was crazy easy thanks to the foil sling. We were then free to enjoy the rest of our evening. This dish is perfect for date night (I mean, think of all that wine that's left to drink, wink wink) or weeknight.

**Note: If cucumbers aren't your thing, I don't quite understand you (hehe), but you could definitely make this without the salad. Sprinkle the minced dill on top of the salmon when it's done cooking. Or omit the dill altogether. Or make the yogurt sauce and dip your salmon in it. So many options!

Poached Salmon with Creamy Cucumber-Dill Salad
 from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution
1 lemon, sliced 1/4 inch thick, plus 1 tablespoon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, stems reserved 
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced thin

1. Fold sheet of aluminum foil into 12 by 9-inch sling, press widthwise into slow cooker. Arrange lemon slices in single layer in bottom of prepared slow cooker. Scatter dill stems over lemon. Pour wine into slow cooker, then add water until liquid level is even with lemon slices (about 1/4 cup water). Season salmon with salt and pepper and place skin side down on top of lemon. Cover and cook until salmon is opaque throughout when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 135 degrees (for medium), about 1 hour on low.
2. Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, lemon juice, and minced dill together in medium bowl. Stir in cucumber and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Using sling, transfer salmon to baking sheet. Gently lift and tilt fillets with spatula to remove dill stems and lemon slices and transfer to plates; discard poaching liquid. Serve with salad.

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