Keto Salmon Salad

by Christopher University | Sep 13, 2022 | Recipes | 73 comments

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This wholesome and healthy Salmon Salad is loaded with fresh veggies and finished off with a light lemon tahini vinaigrette. This easy lunch or light dinner idea will exceed your highest expectations. Gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, keto, Paleo, and Whole30.

Salmon Salad Recipe by Primavera Kitchen

We decided to make this salmon salad because we love everything with salmon and since it’s getting hot here this salad will be great for summer.

This is definitely a quick and easy meal for dinner. Salmon is super easy to make. It takes less than 20 minutes to bake in the oven! Alternatively, canned salmon is just as delicious and healthy.

You can make your chopped salmon salad using fresh or canned pink or red salmon. Either way, it will be full of heart-healthy fats and plenty of nutrients. This salad is light enough to be served for lunch, and it’s a great meal to make using leftover fish. Even better, the salad is quick to make and also filling enough to enjoy as a main dish for dinner.

Chopped Salmon Salad Ingredients

One thing I particularly like about this chopped salad recipe is, that it’s very easy to customize to your tastes. So, if you don’t care for my choice of veggies, use whatever you enjoy and/or have on hand.

Salmon – If you don’t want to make the salmon salad using a fresh salmon filet, you can use canned salmon instead. The good news is, that canned salmon is also a great source of Omega 3’s. If you are using canned salmon, be sure to get boneless salmon so you don’t have to worry about picking out little bones!
Fresh veggies – We like to use romaine lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onion. Feel free to change things up and use whatever you have on hand. For example, baby tomatoes, carrots, olives, shallots, and more. Just be sure to chop everything into small bite-sized pieces so you can have a bite with a little bit of everything.
Avocado – In addition to the creaminess it provides to the salad, avocados also contain heart-healthy fat.
Fresh herbs – Adding some fresh parsley or dill (maybe both!) will give the chopped salmon salad an extra boost. You can also try basil, cilantro, or tarragon.

Salad Dressing Ingredients

This is the type of salad that is too light and healthy to coat in a heavy salad dressing. We like to keep things light and flavorful by making a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice as bottled lemon juice doesn’t have the same fresh bright flavor.

How To Quickly Make Salmon For A Chopped Salmon Salad

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Place salmon on the baking sheet, skin-side down, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool down.
Flake flesh and set aside.

How To Season Salmon For Salads

The seasoning for your salmon really depends on how you plan on dressing your salad. Since we are using a light dressing, we have a lot of room to play around with the seasoning. Here are some ideas:

Cajun seasoning
Italian seasoning
Herb de Provence
Old Bay seasoning
Garlic butter
Salt, pepper, and paprika
Chili pepper
Cayenne and garlic powder
You can even garnish with some freshly shaved parmesan and a pinch of truffle salt

How Long Will Salmon Salad Last In The Fridge?

If you make the salad using fresh salmon, it will keep well for 3 to 4 days. Using canned salmon will keep an extra day or two.

Regardless of what type of salmon you use, the salmon should be kept in an airtight container. Otherwise, any foods nearby might absorb the aroma of the salmon.

How To Store This Chopped Salmon Salad

If you’d like to meal prep this, we suggest either storing each component of the salad separately and then combining the ingredients the morning of packing your lunch. Alternatively, you can pack the ingredients together in meal prep containers but pack the salad dressing on the side.

The dressing can cause your salad to be soggy so by storing it on the side, the meal prep will last longer. Also, if you are meal prepping this, add the avocado on the day of eating as your avocado can turn brown from oxidation.

Serving Suggestions

The salad makes a complete meal on its own, so you really don’t need to serve anything additional with it. If you want to add some extra fiber and make the salad more filling, you could mix in some cooked cauliflower rice, lentils, or quinoa.

Of course, a nice loaf of gluten-free French bread could be a tasty addition as well.

Other recipes you might like to try: Low-carb Cauliflower Pizza, Tasty Keto Chicken Pot Pie Recipe, Delicious Roasted Vegetables