This Greek salmon salad is seared salmon fillets with cucumber, tomato, olives, red onion, avocado and feta cheese, all tossed in a garlic and herb dressing. A lighter meal option that’s fresh, colorful and totally delicious!
I love a good main course salad, it’s a great way to get your protein and veggies all in one place. I often make Tuscan kale salad, avocado tuna salad or this salmon salad when I’m looking for a lunch that won’t weigh me down.
There’s nothing better than a good Greek salad, and when you add salmon to the mix, you end up with a dish that tastes like it came from a restaurant! This salmon salad is packed with flavor and it’s an easy lunch or dinner that you can feel good about eating.
How do you make salmon salad?
This recipe starts with fresh salmon fillets, which are coated in seasoning and seared until browned. While the salmon is cooking, I chop up an assortment of vegetables and make the dressing. The salmon goes over a bed of lettuce along with the vegetables, avocado and feta cheese. Pour the dressing over the top, then serve!
Tips for salmon salad
- This salad tastes best with fresh, wild-caught salmon if you have that available in your local store. I’ve also made it with Atlantic farmed salmon with great results. In a pinch, you could use frozen or canned salmon.
- You can serve the salad with whole fillets over the top as shown in the photos, or you can cut your cooked salmon fillets into smaller bite sized pieces.
- I prefer to use fresh dill in this recipe. If you don’t have dill on hand, other great choices are parsley, chives or basil.
Can you eat salmon cold?
You can absolutely eat cooked salmon hot, room temperature, or cold. For this salad, I prefer to eat the salmon at room temperature as hot salmon will wilt the lettuce. I’ve also made this salad with cold salmon and it’s fabulous.
How long does salmon salad last in the fridge?
The components of this salad will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you’re trying to make this salad in advance, I recommend keeping everything separate, then add them all together with the dressing at the last minute when you’re ready to eat.
Is salmon healthy?
Salmon is a great choice for a healthy diet. It’s high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Salmon is full of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin B12, potassium and selenium. Salmon is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which have numerous health benefits.
Salmon salad variations
While I most often make this recipe as written, sometimes I swap out ingredients to change things up a bit!
- Peppers: You can substitute roasted red peppers for the green bell peppers.
- Cheese: Try shaved parmesan or goat cheese instead of feta.
- Protein: This salad is also great with shrimp, chicken, or a seared white fish such as cod or trout.
- Vegetables: You can add other vegetables to the mix such as marinated artichoke hearts or shaved fennel.
I just can’t get enough of this salmon salad! I find myself making it all the time when I want to eat healthier. The flavor combination just can’t be beat.
More fabulous salad ideas
Salmon Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 pound salmon fillets 3-4 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cucumber quartered and sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives halved
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh dill minced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and sliced
For the dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the salmon fillets with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large pan over high heat.
- Add the salmon and cook for 4-6 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through.
- While the salmon is cooking, place the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives, red onion, feta, dill and bell pepper in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine. Arrange the avocado over the top.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.
- Let the salmon cool for 5-7 minutes. Place the salmon fillets over the lettuce mixture. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then serve.
Just made this for the first time and it’s delicious! I subbed canned black olives for kalmata, ditched the tomatoes, and added banana peppers for some zip. I also made the dressing ahead to let flavors marry for a few hours on the counter. Will definitely make again!
This is an amazing restaurant quality recipe!
This is the second Dinner at the Zoo recipe I’ve made (this and the shrimp fajitas) and they have both been added to my weekly rotation. So yummy and tastes very indulgent while still being healthy
Served this up for Mother’s Day and all guests absolutely LOVED it! The Greek dressing was the perfect accompaniment for this salad. Only adjustment I made was replacing the green pepper with red, orange and yellow mini peppers and I added thinly sliced spring radish (to add a pop of color). Will be in my rotation from now own…it’s that good!
So, so easy, and so so flavorful! Having the leftover salad for lunch today, and it still tastes amazing. The addition of the dill to the salad was awesome.
Easy, healthy and delicious! Looked just like a restaurant salad! Can’t wait to make it again!