Refreshing, healthy, and satisfying salmon salad enjoys perfectly seared filets and crispy veggies. This unapologetically delicious recipe is not only gorgeous to the eyes, but it’s also pleasing to the palate. The incredibly easy garlic lemon dressing makes a colorful, healthy, and hassle-free meal.
Who says comfort food has to be bad for you? Honestly, anything that satisfies cravings, like this salad, is comfort food, in my opinion. Maybe it’s the perfectly seared salmon with all its healthy fat or the veggie fiesta. All I know is that this salad hits the spot every single time.
And the homemade dressing! The perfect zing with fresh lemon juice and red wine vinegar balances the fresh herbs, like dill, Italian herbs, and minced garlic. Even non-salad lovers will appreciate this one.
How to Choose the Best Salmon
Salmon can be expensive, so go for quality salmon to get the most bang for your buck. Make sure the color is vibrant, and the fish is plump and moist. It should spring back if you give it a little press, and it shouldn’t smell overly fishy or have brown spots or bruising. Frozen works well for this recipe because frozen salmon is often fresher than fresh.
How to Make Salmon Salad
- Season and cook the salmon, and make the dressing.
- Assemble the chopped salad ingredients, top with the salmon, and pour on the dressing.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Grill your salmon or stick them in the oven for an even healthier main-dish salad.
- Feel free to top a traditional Caesar salad with salmon for a healthy and filling salad.
- Use different colors of bell peppers for an Instagram-worthy plating.
- Don’t be afraid to mix and match other meats, such as chicken, tuna, or shrimp, with this dish.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
The salad dressing can be made a few days (even a week) before and stored in the refrigerator. And salmon will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge for easy meal prep. All the vegetables except the tomatoes can be prepped a day or two ahead as well. Tomatoes are best cut fresh and added at serving time.
Salad dressing tends to wilt the lettuce, so try to eat leftover salad within a day or two.
What Goes With Salmon Salad
For sides, roast potatoes and carrots, tomato bisque or French onion soup, and homemade garlic bread are wonderful. Grilled pineapple makes a surprisingly good dessert for this lighter fare.
More Easy Salmon Recipes to Top Salads
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.