Salmon Avocado Salad: This low carb or keto friendly salad is packed with flavor.
What is in this salad? Flavorful salmon, seasoned and seared to perfection, deliciously creamy avocados, and a mediterranean style mixture of red onion, tomato, cucumber, feta cheese, and olives. It is an absolutely delicious combination.
Salmon is one of those dishes that people sometimes shy away from cooking. Either they don’t know how to cook it, or don’t like the taste because they don’t know how to season it correctly. Once you get those two things down, you will be amazed at how easy and delicious salmon is.
The best part of Salmon is that it is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and potassium helping contribute to a healthy heart. This recipe will not disappoint. With its amazing fresh flavors and health benefits it’s a winning meal for everyone. Even those on a low carb or keto diet.
I have always loved fish, but my husband on the other hand, has never been a big fish guy. After we got married I made Salmon one night for dinner, and he was amazed at how good it tasted, and how flaky it was.
Come to find out, he had only ever had salmon with a little salt and pepper, and a squirt of lemon juice, and to top. Also, he never knew what was just right, and what was over cooked, so the salmon he ate was usually too dry. Which some people like, but I have found the more flavorful the salmon is, and the way it is cooked, is the key to making a salmon salad recipe a winner!
What salad dressing goes with salmon?
For this particular recipe the salad dressing plays a crucial role to tying in all the amazing flavors you find on your plate. I recommend not skipping that part of the recipe. But if you are in a real hurry, you could use a pre-made dressing. But trust me, the little bit of extra effort is worth it.
Depending on the flavor you are going for, or what flavors you may be trying to add to your salmon, you could adjust the salad dressing you use, or just use a squeeze of lemon. I love the flavor lemon adds to salmon, it helps keep the meal fresh and light, but adds just the right citrus flavor.
If you are trying to keep your salmon salad on the healthy side, I would recommend staying away from creamy dressing that are filled with added fats and calories that will take away from the health benefits.
The dressing for this salad is fairly simple, using lemon and vinegar, oil, and fresh dill. The dill helps give it that Mediterranean feel, and adds a burst of delicious flavor.
What can I make with salmon and avocado?
On the keto diet, salmon and avocado are very popular ingredients because they have a good balance of healthy fats, and protein. Therefore, you may be wondering what you can make with these popular ingredients.
There are a couple different options you have with salmon and avocado.
Obviously, I suggest you make this totally killer salmon avocado salad, it is filling and tasty, but fresh enough that it helps to keep your meal light but full of healthy fats.
What do you put in salmon salad?
The possibilities are endless when it comes to what you COULD put in a salmon salad, but this particular salad has a killer combination of flavors, that when all together, make something that makes tastebuds sing.
Obviously, the main ingredient will of course be your choice of lettuce. I like romaine because it is crisp and contains healthy minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. It also adds some crunch and fun to the salad.
Next is the seasoned cooked salmon. This particular salmon is pan seared, after being seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. This gives a flavorful crust to the exterior, while still allowing the natural flavors of the salmon to shine.
And the rest of the salad! Well we used avocado because it is such a creamy, healthy fat, and such a good way to add texture and flavor, and make this salad keto friendly.
As for the vegetables: I like to add cucumbers, olives, red onion and tomatoes, along with some feta cheese crumble which adds a little salty tangy flavor that I think pairs well with salmon. And is perfect with the dill dressing.
When combined, this is a celebration of flavors that is incredible.
How do you make salmon salad with canned salmon?
You can make salmon salad using canned salmon. I recommend the seared fillet option over canned, simply because the flavors are going to be better. Canned salmon is an excellent sub if you need a timely meal, or a no-cook option.
You will want to make sure you drain all the juice from the canned salmon before adding it to your salad. Adding the juice will cause your salad to become soggy, ruining the texture of your crisp salad.
How do you make salmon salad?
The key to an awesome salmon salad is cooking the salmon properly.
Salmon salad recipes vary, but the main ingredient used in all of them is salmon. Thus, you want to make sure that you cook your salmon to perfection.
To do this make sure to cook your salmon all the way through, but don’t overcook it to the point of it being too dry. Make sure it is fully defrosted, and sear it on one side, then flip and cook on the other side. Watch the salmon, it changes color as it cooks, and also lets out some white protein.
It is done when it easily flakes with a fork, and when there is a little bit of the white protein on the flakes.
The good thing about having the salmon in a salad, is that if it does get a little dry, your dressing will help add a little moisture to it. So if you do overcook, don’t worry, not all is lost.
Once your salmon is cooked, chop up your lettuce and other preferred veggies, add some feta cheese, and then toss it with your dressing if you are serving it immediately. If you are taking it to a gathering, or serving a little later, or meal prepping, keep the dressing on the side, so your lettuce and vegetables don’t get soggy, and drizzle the dressing on right before you serve it.
Salmon Avocado Salad is Filling
Typically salads leave you feeling hungry 10 minutes after you eat them, because there isn’t a lot of substance to them.
However, with the added healthy fats, and protein, this this salmon avocado recipe will leave you satiated for hours. And because you can have an amazing salad that is filling with the salmon, avocado, and veggies, but not so heavy you feel sick the rest of the night, it will be something you want in your regular meal rotation.
Avocado Salmon Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salmon:
- 1 lb salmon fillet boneless, skinless cut into 4 fillets
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to sauté
- 2 Tbs butter
Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice from 2 medium lemons
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp dill freshly chopped
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Salad:
- 4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- 1 cup cucumber sliced and halved
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives sliced
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 2 avocados pitted peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Season both sides of salmon fillets with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
- Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Add salmon and cook 3-4 minutes per side, until golden crust forms.
- Remove salmon to a plate and top each fillet with a ¼ Tbs of butter, then set aside to allow to cool some.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Arrange salad ingredients in the salad bowl, top with salmon, and drizzle the dressing over the top.
- Toss to combine. Serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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