The arrival of spring means that the days are getting longer, and the temperature is starting to warm up. This is the perfect time to enjoy a salad with fresh, seasonal ingredients that you can forage yourself. In this recipe, we’ll make a Spring Fiddlehead Fern Salad. To top off the salad, we’ll add some delicious homemade dressing and crispy skin sockeye salmon. Give it a try!
Fiddlehead ferns may be a new ingredient to many foragers and outdoor cooks. These gems are the curly, edible shoots of the ostrich fern that come up in early spring, and they are DELICIOUS! Fiddlehead ferns have a delicate, earthy flavor and a slightly crunchy texture. Plus, they’re packed with nutrients, making them a great choice if you’re looking for something healthy to eat. If you are new to foraging for fiddleheads? Read more in this Fiddlehead Forager’s FAQ from our resources section.
Fiddlehead ferns can only be found in the spring weather and sometimes can prove to be elusive. You won’t want a single one to go to waste! To extend the shelf life of the harvest, pickle and can your fiddleheads in a briny pickling liquid. Canning and pickling are some of my favorite preservation techniques. These tried and true methods were staples before modern refrigeration and can add loads of flavor and texture to your dish.
How to Pickle Fiddlehead Ferns
- Clean ferns in cold water.
- Blanche ferns in salted, boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Drain and then rinse the ferns in cold water.
- Combine vinegar and spices of your choosing in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Pack ferns in jars and add pickling liquid.
- Seal jars using a water-bath canning method.
Resources for water-bath canning guides and how-tos:
- The Spruce Eats // How to Process Foods in a Water Bath Canner
- Ball Mason Jars // Water Bath Canning
- Eating Well // 10 Steps to Water-Bath Canning
Like other salads, adding protein makes this a complete meal. Here, I used fresh northwest sockeye salmon filets cooked in a cast-iron skillet. This method is not only easy but also crisps the skin for another textural element. Moreover, the fattiness of the salmon is a compliment acidity of the pickled ferns.
I selected sockeye salmon for this salad dish because I found it fresh at the local farmer’s market this week. If you are not a fish person, pork or chicken would also work well.
FAQ for Spring Fiddlehead Fern Salad with Salmon
- What do fiddlehead ferns taste like?
Fiddlehead ferns have a similar taste to other fresh spring green vegetables. I find them most similar to asparagus, but as with any foraged or farmed ingredient, the specific taste will vary based on the soil and environment the plant grows. - Can you make this salad with raw fiddleheads?
No, fiddleheads need to be blanched before consuming. - How can you preserve fiddlehead ferns?
My favorite way to extend the life of fiddlehead ferns is to pickle them. They also can be frozen after blanching. Both methods will preserve the fiddlehead fern for about a year.
- Are all ferns edible?
NO! All ferns are not edible. Like with all foraging, you need to be sure to identify what you are forging for correctly, and some ferns can be extremely poisonous. The fiddleheads I used in this salad are from the Ostrich Fern. Please refer to my guide for foraging for fiddleheads for more information. - If my foraging comes up short, can I buy fiddlehead ferns online?
Fiddlehead ferns can be purchased online from D’artagnan and Foraged.com, but only when they are in season. - Can you make Spring Fiddlehead Fern Salad gluten-free?
Yes! Simply omit the bread or switch it out with your favorite gluten-free option.
If you’re looking for an easy way to add some variety to your salad game, give fiddleheads a try! Even if this recipe for Spring Fiddlehead Fern Salad with Salmon is your first time eating fiddlehead ferns, don’t be afraid to give them ago. They are one of the easiest wild edibles to identify and prepare. They have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that goes well in salads.
And be sure to tag us in your social media posts when you do – I love seeing readers cook up delicious meals and experiment, adding their own creativity.
Spring Salad with Salmon and Pickled Fiddlehead Fern
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp greek yogurt
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 loaf baguette torn into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 salmon filets approximately 4 ounces, skin on
- 1 cup pickled fiddlehead ferns
- 2 cups romaine or green leaf lettuce chopped or torn
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dill torn
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped and toasted
- salt
Instructions
- Mix together vinegar, honey, greek yogurt, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Toss bread pieces in olive oil. Toast in skillet until crispy. Set aside.
- Pat salmon dry and season salmon with salt. Place salmon in a cold cast iron pan. Heat on a camp stove to medium heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin easily releases from the pan. Flip and cook flesh side down for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Toss ferns, lettuce, onion, dill, and walnuts in the dressing. Stir in bread. Divide salad between 4 plates. Top with a filet of salmon and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @bewildeats on Instagram and hashtag it #bewildeats.
A very interesting salad. There was more dressing than needed. Next time I will cut that part of the recipe in half.
This is a really interesting take on fiddleheads. Did you forage them in Oregon?
I did! They are from southern Oregon in the Kalamath Falls area.