Healthy Salmon Salad – made with freshly cooked salmon fillets, crisp nutritious veggies, flavorful herbs, and a tangy Greek yogurt dressing. It makes an excellent lunch or light and refreshing dinner.
This salmon salad recipe is similar to tuna salad but better! It has more flavor and it’s a nice change from the same thing we’ve been eating for decades. I think it may likely become a new favorite!
It’s flavorful, filling, contains healthy fats (omega 3 fatty acids), vitamins and minerals, and it is something you can feel great about eating!
And if you make it for dinner for just one or two people you’ll be lucky to have some left for an on the go-lunch the next day.
Salmon Salad Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve this simple salmon salad.
It’s delicious in bread slices (white, sourdough, wheat, multi-grain), croissants, rolls, bagels (or bagel thins), pita or flat bread, wraps or tortillas, or you can serve it in lettuce leaves making salmon lettuce wraps.
You can also optionally build it up with other various toppings such as tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, avocado slices, or spinach.
Salmon salad is best when it’s that’s made fresh salmon fillets, though frozen (and thawed before cooking) will work great too. In a pinch you could try this with canned cooked salmon but you’ll want to drain it very well.
Salmon Salad Recipe Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless cooked skinless salmon fillets, chilled
- 1/2 cup small diced celery
- 1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper
- 3 Tbsp minced red onion
- 1/3 cup (heaping) plain low fat Greek yogurt (preferably a thick option such as Fage)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh dill
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to Cook Salmon for a Salmon Salad Recipe
There are three recommended ways to cook salmon for this recipe:
- Oven: Place fillets on a greased baking sheet. Bake 400 until cooked through, about 11 to 15 minutes.
- Stovetop: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sear salmon on both sides until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Grill: Preheat a gas grill to 400 degrees. Brush salmon lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill about 3 to 5 minutes on each side (depending on thickness) until cooked through.
How to Make Salmon Salad
- Flake cooked and chilled salmon into small chunks using a knife and spoon or fork.
- To a large mixing bowl add salmon, celery, bell pepper, red onion, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, dill and parsley.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss mixture.
- Serve over bread, croissants, rolls or in lettuce leaves if desired.
Helpful Tips and Possible Substitutes
- Try it with another type of fish that cooks up firm and flakey.
- For a creamier richer salmon salad replace the Greek yogurt and olive oil with 6 Tbsp mayonnaise.
- If you’d like to add a lightly charred flavor you can briefly roast the bell pepper over a gas stove or under the broiler of the oven to blacken it. Let it cool before chopping and adding.
- Feel free to toss in other suitable ingredients such as chopped baby dill pickles or capers.
- You could also substitute chopped seeded cucumber for the celery.
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions works in place of the red onion.
More Tasty Simple Salads to Try
Salmon Salad
Made with freshly cooked salmon fillets, crisp nutritious veggies, flavorful herbs, and a tangy Greek yogurt dressing. It makes an excellent lunch or light and refreshing dinner.
Servings: 4
- 1 lb skinless cooked salmon fillets,* chilled
- 1/2 cup small diced celery or seeded English cucumber
- 1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper
- 3 Tbsp minced red onion
- 1/3 cup (heaping) plain low fat Greek yogurt (preferably a thick option such as Fage)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh dill
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-
Flake cooked and chilled salmon into small chunks using a knife and spoon or fork.
-
To a large mixing bowl add salmon, celery, bell pepper, red onion, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, dill and parsley.
-
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss mixture.
-
Serve over bread, croissants, rolls or in lettuce leaves if desired.
- Oven – Place fillets on a greased baking sheet. Bake 400 until cooked through, about 11 to 15 minutes. Chill through in fridge.
- Stovetop – Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sear salmon on both sides until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Chill through in fridge.
- Nutrition estimate is just for salmon salad does not include serving suggestions. Recipe makes about 3 1/4 cups salad.
Nutrition Facts
Salmon Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 308
Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 71mg24%
Sodium 107mg5%
Potassium 886mg25%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 2315IU46%
Vitamin C 59mg72%
Calcium 82mg8%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
