Best Salmon Salad

salmon salad, but it sounded delicious, so I thought it would be fun to create Salmon Salad in a way very healthiest! Whether you’re enjoying a fancy evening with your special someone or serving guests, They would love to have the Healthiest Salmon Salad.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It has all the components of a good meal-sized salad. protein, smart carbs, healthy fats, lots of veggies, and satisfaction factor!
This is the perfect recipe for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
You can easily prep parts of this salad ahead of time for quick assembly.

Salmon Health Benefits

Salmon is a superfood in my book! It’s packed with long-chain omega-3 fatty acids which can help reduce inflammation and blood pressure. It’s a great source of protein and has a ton of key vitamins and minerals. Studies have linked salmon to protecting brain health, reducing heart disease, and weight control.

The nutrition facts for wild vs. farmed salmon are kind of crazy! If I hadn’t done some research, I would have thought the stats would have been fairly similar. Not the case! Farmed salmon has a lot more fat, almost three times the amount of omega-6 fatty acids and three times the amount of saturated fat. It also has almost 50% more calories. Farmed salmon also generally has higher amounts of contaminants.

Disclaimer after having said all of that: all salmon is still good salmon! Wild-caught salmon can be more expensive and unavailable in every grocery store so get what’s available and what you can afford. Some stores sell Salmon in the frozen section.

Ingredients Needed

salmon fillets – both wild salmon and farmed salmon have benefits! While wild salmon might be considered the better choice, it is more expensive and farmed salmon is still a great option!
avocado oil – I like searing my salmon in a little Avocado oil because the salmon gets golden and a little crispy.
sea salt and pepper – for a little seasoning.
Baby kale + romaine – any greens would work here.
Sweet potato croutons – the perfect healthy salad topping.
avocado – for some creaminess and healthy fat.
pickled red onions – a great way to add some extra flavor and a pop of color!
feta – the feta adds a bit of creaminess to the salad and gives it a little tang as well. I recommend using vegan feta to make this salad dairy-free if needed! You could omit it, but you’ll lose a lot of flavor.
pepitas – aka pumpkin seeds, which is one of my favorite seeds. Feel free to swap these for another seed or nut. I like use Hemp Seeds
Lemon vinaigrette dressing – a mixture of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup (or honey), oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. It’s a light, fresh, and super easy dressing that pairs perfectly with the salmon!

Customize Your Superfood Salmon Salad

This salad is completely customizable! Here are some suggestions for variations and substitutions:

Switch up the greens – if you’re not a romaine or baby kale fan, feel free to use your favorite leafy green instead.
Make this dairy-free and vegan – simply skip the feta cheese (or use a vegan option).
Use different veggies – Have different veggies on hand? Toss them in! Cucumber, cabbage, broccoli, or bell peppers would be delicious additions.
Use a different protein – swap the salmon with chicken or if you want to make this salad vegetarian swap in tempeh, tofu, or beans!
Switch up the dressing – craving a different dressing? This red wine vinaigrette, white balsamic vinaigrette, or apple cider vinaigrette would be delicious on this salad!
Swap the seeds for nuts – if you have a seed allergy or if you just prefer nuts you can swap the pepitas for almonds or another nut of choice. Sunflower seeds would also be delicious.
Add fresh herbs – I love adding fresh herbs to my salads. Fresh chives, oregano, or dill would all be delicious in this salad.

How to Prep in Advance

If you want the real deal but don’t have time to make everything in this salad in one night, you can prep some of the components in advance for faster assembly. Here’s what I would prep in advance:

Sweet potato croutons – these only take about 25 minutes to cook but that’s precious time on busy weeknights! Make these during your weekend meal prep for quick assembly on the night off.
Pickled onions – this step is hands-off once you slice the onion and make the vinegar mixture.
Dressing – so simple to whip this up in advance!

Recipes

Ingredients

2-4 oz salmon fillets
1 Tablespoon avocado oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
4 cups baby kale + romaine or spring mix
2 cups sweet potato croutons
½ avocado sliced
¼ cup pickled red onions
¼ cup crumbled feta
2 Tablespoons pepitas
Lemon vinaigrette dressing

Instructions

Make pickled red onions, and the lemon vinaigrette dressing, and bake your sweet potato croutons.
Season salmon filets with sea salt and ground pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet (a cast-iron works great) over medium-high heat. Place salmon in pan, skin side up for about 4 minutes or until the flesh is golden brown. Turn and cook until salmon is medium-rare, about 4 more minutes.
In a salad bowl, toss greens with sweet potato croutons, pickled red onions, feta, and pepitas.
Divide between 2 plates. Top salad with salmon and avocado. Then drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Notes

Dairy-free – Feel free to leave of the feta cheese for a dairy-free version.
Mix-ins – Feel free to switch up your mix-ins for this superfood salad… I often do! Sometimes I change up the veggies based on what I have on hand. Feel free to get creative and make this your own!
Dressing – I love the lemon vinaigrette dressing I created for this salad but any dressing would work if you’re in a pinch. Some options: creamy balsamic dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, apple cider vinaigrette or white balsamic vinaigrette.

Nutrition

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins, Cook Time: 40 minutes mins, Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2

Author: Richard Jeffreys

0 Shares