This recipe was originally part of a schoolchild’s balanced daily menu, which I co-created with nutritionist Jaanika Tapver for Pere ja Kodu magazine in September 2021. We included this buckwheat salad as a simple, protein-rich option children could assemble on their own after school.
It’s incredibly versatile — you can swap the buckwheat for brown rice, and if little hands are doing the prep, it helps to have the grains and salmon cooked the evening before. From there, it’s mostly just a bit of chopping and mixing — manageable even for 7- to 8-year-olds.
Of course, you don’t need to be a schoolchild to enjoy this. Buckwheat makes a surprisingly elegant base for a wholesome lunch, a late-night bite, or even a light dish on a party table. While many of us associate buckwheat with no-frills student life, it’s high time this underrated grain got the recognition it deserves. With its nutty flavour and health-boosting properties, buckwheat is having its glow-up moment — and this salad is a chic way to get on board.
In this recipe, buckwheat pairs beautifully with tender salmon, iron-rich spinach, and crisp seasonal vegetables. I’ve swapped traditional mayo or sour cream for creamy cottage cheese — it’s lighter in fat, higher in protein, and gives the salad a fresh, satisfying texture without weighing it down.
Buckwheat Salad
Ingredients
Preparation
-
Place the cooked buckwheat in a bowl. Tear the cooked salmon into bite-sized pieces and add it to the grains. Toss in the salad leaves. Halve the cherry tomatoes, chop the cucumber, and add both to the bowl. Finally, spoon in the cottage cheese, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix everything together.
-
Tip: If this salad is being made by a child, prep the buckwheat and salmon the evening before and store them in the fridge. That way, everything is ready for a quick and independent afternoon meal.
Note
- If your child is making the salad themselves, boil some buckwheat and fry a piece of fish the night before. Put them in the fridge to wait for them, and they can continue the process themselves when they get home from school.
