It’s a rare event that I ever have leftover salmon- it’s one of my favorite things to eat and we usually devour it, never letting it see the light of the next day. But miraculously, I had some leftover from making garlic butter salmon and swiss chard the other day. And so this salmon, arugula, and feta frittata was born!
Making frittatas is potentially my favorite way to use leftovers. You can usually through whatever you want in them- veggies, meats, beans… you name it. Leftover carnitas? Into a frittata they go. Roasted butternut squash leftover from Thanksgiving? Into healthy morning-after frittata. Tons of green vegetables about to go bad lurking in the fridge? You guessed it- frittata.
I make them all the time, but my husband Zach declared this the best frittata I’ve made. I think I have to agree with him.
Turns out, feta and salmon are an awesome combination. I love feta cheese and eggs, and often add it to my scrambled eggs (it’s a Greek thing). It melts just a little but also maintains its shape, so you get an awesome salty chunk of feta with every bite. Paired with the peppery arugula, these three ingredients are perfect together!
I’m on a streak of using ingredients from my garden. This is the first time I’ve ever had a vegetable garden, and I’m having so much fun! In my last post I used Swiss chard from my garden, and all that delicious arugula you see in the photo above? Yup, from my garden!
I’d say I have a green thumb, but I just went out to check on things and it looks like my butternut squashes are going to meet an untimely demise. Some kind of insect is eating the base of the stem, cutting it off. So sad. If anyone has any suggestions for how to fix this problem, I’m all ears!
Back to this wonderful frittata.
If you’ve never made one before, you MUST. As soon as possible. Frittatas are so easy to make it’s almost too easy to be a recipe. They come together super quickly in one pan with very few ingredients. They are usually low carb and adaptable to be paleo/whole30 compliant (for this one, simply omit the feta, and then cry into your frittata as you eat it because it doesn’t have feta).
First, you’ll make sure all the ingredients are cooked well, especially the veggies. You don’t want to add raw veggies because the liquid content will cause it to fall apart. Then, you’ll add the eggs, continue cooking on the stovetop for just a little bit until the eggs start to set, then broil for a few more minutes. I find that this stovetop/broiler method works the best for ensuring you don’t have a dry frittata, which is probably the biggest universal frittata complaint. Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook.
You’ll know the frittata is cooked when the eggs are set. To test this, just giggle the pan around a bit, and if the eggs move, leave it in for a bit more. Or if you try cutting into it, and it seems soupy, just put it back in for a little while.
I love using my Calphalon Tri Ply stainless steel skillets to make frittatas, or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Make sure whatever you use is oven safe, since you will be transferring it from the stovetop to your oven under the broiler. And for the love of God, make sure you don’t touch the handle after it’s been removed from the oven! I’ve done this more than once, since it’s easy to forget that it was in a hot oven. I usually cover the handle with one of these handy covers so I don’t accidentally burn myself.
Frittatas not your thing? Here’s another way (with very similar ingredients!) to use up leftover salmon: salmon, goat cheese, and arugula salad with creamy lemon garlic dressing.
Try these other salmon recipes:
- Garlic Butter Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies
- 15-Minute Perfect Poached Salmon with Chive Butter
- Orange Glazed Salmon
- One-Pan Garlic Butter Salmon and Swiss Chard
- Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
- Seared Salmon with Scallion Butter
- Seared Salmon with Avocado, Lemon, and Garlic Aioli
- Garlic Poached Salmon with Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce
- Oven BBQ Salmon
Other quick and easy egg recipes
- Olive Oil Scrambled Eggs with Feta and Tomatoes
- Tortilla Egg Wraps with Mushrooms and Olives
- 5-Minute Microwave Quiche in a Mug
- Summer Vegetable Frittata
- Green Machine Paleo Zucchini and Spinach Frittata
Here’s the recipe for this delicious salmon, arugula, and feta frittata! Note: the recipe is written to serve 4-6, but when I made (and photographed) it I used half the ingredients and a smaller skillet to feed only me and Zach. If you want a frittata for two, just halve the ingredients and you’ll be all set.
Salmon, Arugula, and Feta Frittata
Equipment
- Oven-Safe Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or butter
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups baby arugula packed
- 4 oz. cooked salmon flaked apart
- 4 oz. feta cheese chopped or crumbled
- 8 eggs beaten
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) in a medium oven-safe skillet (such as a stainless steel or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) over medium high heat.
- Sauté the sliced red onion (1/4 cup) in the oil until softened and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the arugula (2 cups packed), season with salt and pepper to taste, and turn the heat down to medium. Stir until arugula has wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in cooked salmon (4 oz.), feta (4 oz.), and 8 beaten eggs and season again with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Keep stirring for about one minute, until eggs begin to set a bit.
- Place under the broiler for 6-8 minutes, or until eggs have set and top of frittata is golden brown.
Notes
- Make it paleo/whole30/dairy free: omit the feta cheese.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Donna Riley
The ingredient list says 8 eggs, but the directions state 4 eggs. Which is correct?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Ah, thanks for catching this! It should be 8. I fixed the directions. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention!
Donna
We enjoyed this very much. As we are only 2 people, I froze 1/3 and kept 1/3 in the refrigerator. It was one of those recipes that tastes even better when reheated!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Betty Bender
Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
You’re welcome! So glad you liked it :-)