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Food
Pan Seared Scallop Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette
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Pan seared scallops taste like a special occasion dinner, but they’re easy enough for a weeknight. Serve them over a citrus-infused salad for a light and healthy meal!
Caramelized pan seared scallops combined with sweet oranges and peppery arugula in a garlic citrus vinaigrette—it sounds like something straight off of a restaurant menu, but it’s my new favorite salad recipe! While pan seared scallops might seem high-end, they’re simple to make for a weeknight dinner or even a quick lunch. This dish is also elegant enough to impress guests and easy to scale up if you’re serving a crowd.
Why These Pan Seared Scallops Deserve a Spot on Your Menu
Here’s why you’ll want to make this recipe soon!
- A great way to enjoy scallops. Scallops are low in points, packed with protein, and they always make a meal feel a little bit more special. In this recipe, they’re rich and flavorful, making this salad seem indulgent (even though it’s not).
- Restaurant-quality. The combination of zesty citrus, peppery greens, and savory caramelized scallops creates the kind of salad you’d expect to find at a fancy restaurant. The balance of textures and flavors is phenomenal.
- Easy to make. Quick to prepare, this pan seared scallop salad is ideal for busy weeknights or last-minute entertaining.
What You’ll Need
The pan seared scallops are the star of this recipe and you don’t need much else to make them shine. Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Sea scallops – Dry packed scallops are best. Wet packed scallops are plumped up with water and chemicals to increase their weight; when cooked, this excess liquid evaporates off and leaves you with much smaller scallops than you started with!
- Unsalted Butter – Cooking scallops in butter gives them that nice caramelization and extra flavor.
- Lemon and orange – You’ll use the juice from these to make the dressing, and you’ll also add some orange segments to the salad.
- Garlic – This adds savory flavor to the dressing.
- Salt and pepper – I like to use kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Use a quality EVOO that’s fruity and aromatic.
- Greens – I use a mix of baby greens and arugula.
- Red onion – If you want to make the onion less pungent, you can toss the diced onion in a little bit of the dressing and let this sit for 10 minutes before adding it to the salad.
How to Make Seared Scallops
This is just a brief overview of the steps for making pan seared scallops. See the recipe card below for printable instructions.
- Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the olive oil, juice from half lemon, juice from 1/4 of the orange, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Prep the salad ingredients. Peel and slice the remaining orange. Place the greens on a plate and add the onion.
- Season the scallops. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry. Season them with salt. While you do this, preheat a skillet over high heat.
- Cook the scallops. Melt the butter in the pan and add the scallops. Sear until they’re caramelized on the bottom, then flip and caramelize the other side. The middles should still be translucent to keep them from overcooking.
- Put it all together. Add the pan seared scallops to the greens, then add the oranges. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.
Tips and Variations
These tips will help you make sure your pan seared scallops turn out perfect.
- Swap out the greens. You can use another green like baby spinach or go in a different direction and serve your pan seared scallops over quinoa, jasmine rice, or couscous.
- Make sure the scallops are dry. It’s important to pat the scallops dry before cooking them. If they’re still damp, they’ll steam in the pan; they may also cause the butter to spatter when you add them to the skillet.
- Don’t move the scallops. To get that nice sear and caramelization, don’t move the scallops in the pan until you’re ready to flip them.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftover scallops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be sure to store the salad separately. (I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.)
- To reheat: Reheating scallops is tricky! A quick sear on the grill works well, or place them in a steamer basket set over simmering water, cover, and steam until they’re warm.
More Scallop Recipes
For more dinner ideas using scallops, check out my Seafood Recipes collection, plus these five delicious scallop recipes to inspire your next meal!
Yield: 2 servings
Serving Size: 1 /2 of recipe
Citrus Mojo Vinaigrette: In a small bowl whisk olive oil, juice from half lemon, juice from 1/4 of the orange, crushed garlic, salt and pepper.
Peel the remaining orange and chop into small chunks.
Arrange mixed greens and arugula in the center of a plate or platter.
Top with red onion.
Wash scallops and pat dry with a paper towel.
Season with salt.
Heat a medium size pan on a high flame.
When pan is hot, melt butter and place scallops in the pan.
Sear without touching them for a few minutes until the bottom forms a nice caramel colored crust.
Turn over and cook about another minute while their centers are still slightly translucent (you can check this by viewing them from the side). Be careful not to overcook.
Remove from the pan and arrange around the greens.
Arrange oranges on the plate and drizzle with vinaigrette.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Serving: 1 /2 of recipe, Calories: 212 kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.5 g, Protein: 20.5 g, Fat: 9.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 42.5 mg, Sodium: 206.5 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g, Sugar: 4 g
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