This smoked salmon salad is the ideal quick dinner: no cooking involved! It’s fresh, healthy, and full of big flavor.

Smoked Salmon Salad

Here’s a genius trick that makes a fast dinner or healthy lunch with no cooking required. That’s right, no need to grab your pan and spatula. Try this Smoked Salmon Salad! It’s healthy, fresh, and 100% cook free. Imagine: savory smoked salmon, fresh greens, fluffy goat cheese dollops and a tangy shallot vinaigrette. It’s ideal for a summer meal al fresco or fast lunch: and it comes together in 15 minutes flat.

Components in smoked salmon salad

Somehow we tend to forget about the magic of smoked salmon for making fast meals, so we’re remedying that with this recipe. Smoked salmon salad is the type of lifesaver meal you can throw together while your kids are screaming or when you don’t have energy to think. Of course, you’ll need to have a few ingredients on hand:

  • Smoked salmon: find it in the refrigerated section near the meat counter
  • Fresh greens: we like to use mixed spring greens for color and texture contrasts
  • Goat cheese: it adds creamy, savory notes: substitute feta if you’re not a goat cheese fan
  • Homemade shallot vinaigrette: easy to mix up (see below)
  • Red onion slices: add just the right spicy bite
Smoked salmon salad

Optional ingredients to add!

This smoked salmon salad is totally customizable, based on what you have on hand in your refrigerator. Use it as a “clean out the fridge” concept and add any veggies, nuts or seeds you like. A few ideas that would go well:

  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Radishes
  • Sesame seeds or pepitas
  • Almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts

Mix up a homemade shallot vinaigrette

The star of this smoked salmon salad, other than the salmon itself, is the dressing! This homemade vinaigrette comes together quickly and has the perfect tangy flavor. It stars shallots, small onions that have a delicate flavor. They’re one of our favorites to use in salad dressings! Here’s what to know about the dressing:

  • Whisk the olive oil in gradually to get the perfect emulsion. We like to do it about 1 tablespoon at a time. The Dijon mustard is also a key component to getting a creamy consistency.
  • Dressing stores up to 2 weeks. The dressing can solidify in the fridge because of the oil, so bring to room temperature before serving.
Shallot vinaigrette

Dressing variations for smoked salmon salad

Of course, you can use any other type of dressing you like for this smoked salmon salad. The quality greatly affects the final flavors. So if you use store-bought, make sure it’s best quality! Here we’d recommend tangy vinaigrettes starring herbs, tomatoes or fresh berries. Here are a few more delicious go-to homemade salad dressing recipes we love:

More easy salmon recipes

Salmon is a weeknight dinner hero, in our book! Smoked salmon is ever better, since you don’t have to cook it! Here are a few more recipes where this lean protein makes a delicious lunch, brunch or dinner:

This smoked salmon salad recipe is…

Pescatarian, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Print
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Smoked Salmon Salad


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 salads 1x

Description

This smoked salmon salad is the ideal quick dinner: no cooking involved! It’s fresh, healthy, and full of big flavor.


Ingredients

Scale

For the salad

  • 10 ounces greens (2 to 3 cups per plate)
  • 8 ounces smoked salmon
  • 4 to 6 large sprigs fresh dill, torn into pieces
  • 4 ounces soft goat cheese
  • ¼ cup red onion slices
  • Sesame seeds, for the garnish

For the vinaigrette dressing

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot (1/2 medium shallot)

Instructions

  1. Make the vinaigrette dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time until a creamy emulsion forms. Stir in the shallots. Store refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving (keeps at least 2 weeks).
  2. Make the smoked salmon salad: Place the greens on a plate. Add pieces of smoked salmon, torn dill, goat cheese dollops, and sliced red onions. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Smoked salmon salad

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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5 Comments

  1. Had some leftover Salmon after the Thanksgiving holiday and searched Pinterest for a salad and there was your’s. Your description is dead on. It was easy, fresh, and super flavorful. The goat cheese made the dish. A definite winner. Thanks!

  2. This recipe is absolutely delicious and definitely one of my new favorite dishes! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe, I will definitely be making it again and again. Keep up the good work!

  3. This smoked salmon salad looks like a delicious and healthy meal option! I love the combination of flavors and textures in this dish, from the crisp greens to the creamy avocado and tangy dressing. Thanks for sharing this recipe — can’t wait to try it out myself!