A Quick & Healthy Dinner or Meal Prep Lunch
As a full-time working mom, I care so much about quick meals that are healthy & balanced, easy, and most importantly, delicious.
This recipe is everything I want in a salmon salad: bold Mediterranean flavors, fresh veggies, and a tangy herb dressing. Using leftover salmon (especially leftover greek salmon) makes it a 10-minute meal you can meal prep for lunches!
Recipe highlights:
- Balanced meal with protein, healthy fats, and fiber
- Quick to prep (only 15 minutes active time)
- Customizable — use what you have on hand for a clean-out-the-fridge salad
- Meal-prep friendly — salmon keeps well and tastes great cold
Love a quick and healthy salad? Try this la scala chopped salad, curry chicken salad, or cottage cheese egg salad next.
Ingredient Highlights & Swaps
- Lemon juice: bright acidity to balance flavors.
- Herbs: fresh dill & parsley and dried oregano for a Mediterranean flavor.
- Salmon fillets: high in healthy fats and protein!
- Romaine lettuce: crisp and sturdy base, but butter lettuce or mixed greens work too.
- Mini cucumber: for fresh crunch.
- Grape tomatoes: sweet and juicy.
- Red onion: balances the flavors. Pickled onions work too!
- Avocado: creamy texture, healthy fats, and fiber!
- Chickpeas: plant-based protein and more fiber.
- Feta cheese: the perfect greek flavors to finish the salmon salad. Leave it out for dairy-free or swap it with goat cheese!
How to Make this Salmon Salad Recipe
- Make the Dressing: Whisk dressing ingredients in a jar.
- Assemble the Salad: Layer the romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, chickpeas, and feta in a bowl or seperate into containers for meal prep.
- Serve: Flake the salmon using a fork and top the salad. Drizzle with reserved dressing if you’re serving it right away or store separately for meal prep.
Tested Tips & Shortcuts
- Cold Salmon Tip: Leftovers taste amazing cold, so it’s perfect for meal prep lunches. Just store the dressing separately.
- Pre-cooked salmon: Purchase pre-cooked salmon or even canned salmon if you don’t have leftover salmon on hand and don’t want to cook fresh.
- Store-bought dressing: skip the homemade dressing if you don’t have time and buy your favorite Greek dressing at the store. I like Primal Kitchen’s greek dressing.
Salmon Salad Recipe
This salmon salad recipe combines crisp romaine, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and flaky salmon with a Mediterranean herb dressing. It’s quick, nourishing, and perfect for weeknight dinners or meal-prep lunches.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon (2-3 Tbsp)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper & red pepper flakes to taste
Salmon Salad
- 12-14 oz cooked salmon flaked (2-3 cups), see notes for cooking if you don’t have leftover salmon
- 1 head romaine chopped
- 1 mini cucumber chopped
- 10 oz grape tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced (1/2 onion)
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Make dressing (5 min): Whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together well in a jar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.1/4 cup olive oil, Juice from 1 lemon, 1 clove garlic, 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, Black pepper & red pepper flakes
- Assemble salad (5 min): Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl.12-14 oz cooked salmon, 1 head romaine, 1 mini cucumber, 10 oz grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup red onion, 1 avocado, 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, 4 oz feta cheese
- Serve: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Or separate into containers and store salad dressing separately for meal prep.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!
Notes
Cook the salmon: Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper. Place it skin-side-down in the hot skillet and sear for 4 minutes without moving. The skin should be golden and crisp. Carefully flip and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, 4-5 minutes, until the salmon flakes and reaches an internal temperature of 125-130°F. Let it rest for 5 minutes, remove the skin, and flake with a fork.
Canned salmon: this recipe works with canned salmon if you don’t want to cook it! Drain and flake before adding to the salad. I like Wild Planet canned salmon.
Store-Bought Dressing: I love homemade salad dressing, but store bought works to in a pinch. I like Primal Kitchen Greek dressing. Any greek, Italian, or balsamic dressing would be delicious.
To store: Store leftover salad, without the dressing, in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Dressed salad will stay fresh for a bout a day, but the lettuce will be slightly wilted.
Meal Prep: Assemble the salad ingredients into 4 separate airtight containers then mix and store the dressing separately.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 679mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 14570IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 233mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My Favorite Variations
- Greens: Try spinach, kale, or arugula instead of romaine.
- Try another seasoning: the flavor of this salmon salad recipe depends on the dressing. Use leftover cajun salmon, Italian seasoned-salmon, or salmon seasoned with old bay. Use a matching dressing to your taste!
- Grill or bake the salmon: Easily make baked salmon or grilled salmon instead.
- Protein Swap: Use chicken instead (like in this grilled chicken salad), or swap for shrimp or tofu.
- Dairy-Free: Skip feta or replace with dairy-free cheese.
- Extra Crunch: Add toasted pita chips, sunflower seeds, or roasted chickpeas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use leftover cooked salmon?
Yes! Flaky leftover salmon is perfect in this salad and others like salmon caesar salad and salmon arugula salad.
Do you it eat cold?
Yes, salmon salad is typically enjoyed cold as a quick lunch or meal prep option, but you can flake the salmon right when it’s cooked and enjoy it warm too.
Can I use canned salmon in this salad?
You can use canned salmon in this salmon salad! It’s a quick and easy alternative that turns this into a 5 minute recipe. Just drain and flake with a fork.
What’s the best way to store salmon salad?
Store leftovers in a air tight container or separate into meal prep containers without the dressing. This salmon salad will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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