Elevate your meal with the vibrant and refreshing flavors of our grilled salmon salad with lemon basil dressing. Perfectly grilled salmon pairs beautifully with crisp vegetables and a zesty, herb-infused dressing, creating a dish that’s both delicious and nutritious for any occasion.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- Grilling salmon at high heat caramelizes its surface through the Maillard reaction, enhancing its natural flavors and creating a crispy, flavorful crust.
- The high fat content in salmon helps keep it moist and tender during grilling, while also contributing to the richness of the salad.
- Adding fresh vegetables and a tangy dressing to the grilled salmon creates a balanced dish, with the acidity of the dressing complementing the richness of the salmon and the crisp texture of the vegetables providing contrast.
Featured Comment 69
“This was stunning! We were getting very tired with my regular, quite boring salad, and can’t believe how good this was. It would have been delicious even without the salmon. I’m definitely making it again.”—Dave
Why It Works
Are you looking for a light, fresh, and healthy protein-packed meal? This Greek salmon salad is loaded with crisp, fresh vegetables and tossed in a tangy lemon basil dressing. For quick and easy preparation, grilling and making the dressing in a blender are real-time savers.
To minimize the cleanup, fire up your grill. The salmon recipe cooks in under 10 minutes! Add all the dressing ingredients to the blender to create the fastest creamy dressing in under a minute. It’s a tasty Meditteranean-inspired dish for everyone strapped for time but still crave a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Jump To a Section
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salmon: Choose your favorite type of salmon. I use sockeye salmon filets, about 4 ounces in size, for this recipe. If you prefer a more rich and soft texture, use Atlantic salmon. Wild salmon will be darker in hue and leaner. Cook with the skin on or off. It’s easy to remove after cooking or leave intact if you like a crispy texture.
- Lettuce: A combination of different types of lettuce, like crisp romaine and tender spinach or kale, adds nutrition to each bowl. When cutting romaine, slice it into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
- Mix-ins: Juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, bell peppers, red onions, tangy and creamy feta cheese, and chopped walnuts.
- Dressing: A lemon basil dressing is made in a blender for a quick vinaigrette to add on top.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This grilled salmon salad recipe is easy to customize. Try these delicious flavor variations:
- If you rather cook inside, try my baked salmon or broiled Mediterranean roasted salmon.
- For an Asian-inspired flavor, try this miso salmon.
- To switch up the dressing, try balsamic vinaigrette, Italian dressing, homemade ranch dressing, or green goddess.
How to Make Grilled Salmon Salad
Step 1: Season the Salmon
Lightly season both sides of the salmon fillet with salt and pepper. A generous coating of olive oil adds a fruit flavor and prevents the pieces from sticking to the grill.
Step 2: Grill the Salmon
I always ensure the grill is cleaned, pre-heated over medium-high heat, and oiled before cooking. When making grilled salmon, place the fish on a 45-degree angle to the grates to achieve beautifully striped sear marks.
Don’t move the fish until ready to flip! The seared salmon will naturally release and easily lift off when given enough time to cook on the grill, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Feel free to use tongs or a spatula to lift one side to check, but be careful as the fish is delicate.
Step 3: Make the Salad
Here are my rules for building the ultimate salad; use ingredients that are crunchy, creamy, savory, tangy, and a hint of sweet. If you have these five elements, your salad combinations will be a hit!
For the crunch, I like a mixture of salad greens. I’ve got chopped romaine, kale, and spinach in this recipe. Cucumbers, red bell peppers, and red onions add even more crisp textures. Ripe baby tomatoes add a natural burst of sweetness, plus a little bit of honey in the dressing. The creaminess from the feta and walnuts contrasts the crunch nicely. The cheese also adds a savory and tangy fermented note.
Step 4: Make the Dressing
Grab a blender for a quick and easy salmon salad dressing. To make the lemon basil dressing, process the lemon juice, zest, mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like basil and oregano. The lemon juice adds just the right amount of acidity to brighten and bring all of the elements in the salad together.
Drizzle in the olive oil while blending; it’s packed with healthy fats that provide richness and thickness to the vinaigrette. It’s one of my favorite dairy-free dressings! You can also make the dressing recipe by hand by chopping up the herbs and whisking everything together in a medium bowl.
Step 5: Ready to Serve
Drizzle the lemon basil dressing over the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss them together to coat them evenly. Serve the salad with salmon on top in individual bowls. I always like adding some extra cheese and dressing.
This is a great entree salad for meal prep. You can portion the dressing and pour it on top right before eating. The salmon tastes delicious cold too! I often serve the cooked salmon in a lettuce wrap for a quick low-carb meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grill the salmon fillets uncovered, flip them when they’re about 70% cooked, and finish cooking the other side. The fish is ready when the flesh easily flakes apart with a fork—don’t overcook! Cook to about a medium-rare to medium doneness, between 130 and 140°F (54 to 60ºC).
A good dressing for a salmon salad should complement the rich, flavorful salmon while enhancing the freshness of the vegetables. These are popular pairings: Lemon Herb Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey, Mustard Dressing, Greek Yogurt Dill Dressing, Citrus Ginger Dressing, Avocado Lime Dressing, and Tahini Lemon Dressing.
More Salad Recipes
If you tried this Grilled Salmon Salad, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Grilled Salmon Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing
Ingredients
Salmon Salad
- 1 pound salmon fillets, 4 pieces
- kosher salt, as needed
- black pepper, as needed
- olive oil, as needed
- 8 cups lettuce, romaine, spinach or kale
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced, ¼" thick
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced, ¼" thick
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 8 basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, or 1 teaspoon fresh
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Season the Salmon – Lightly season both sides of the salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on both sides to coat.
- Grill the Salmon – Heat a barbecue or grill pan to medium-high. Add a small amount of vegetable oil to a folded piece of paper towel, and grease the grill grates. Once the grill is hot, add the salmon fillets. Cook uncovered for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until flaky, about 130 to 140°F (54 to 60ºC). Remove the salmon from the grill and transfer to a clean plate. Cover to keep warm. Remove the skin if still attached.
- Make the Salad – In a large bowl, add the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, cheese, and walnuts. Set aside.
- Make the Salad Dressing – In a blender, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, honey, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With the blender running on low speed, slowly add the olive oil, processing until lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- To Serve – Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat the ingredients. There will be extra dressing to serve on the side. Evenly divide the mixture among four bowls and top with 1 salmon fillet. Drizzle each salmon with more dressing if desired.
Notes
- Making the Dressing by Hand: Finely chop the basil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, honey, garlic, chopped basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
- Storing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Lisa Smith says
This is one of my favorite Salmon Salad recipes. The dressing is so yummy.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Lisa! I love this salmon salad too.
Jess says
I will be making this recipe for company this weekend. Is it possible to make the dressing in advance? 2 days? or will the fresh basil not be good any longer?
Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Since the basil is blended, I think it would be okay to make up to 2 days in advance. Whisk before using.
Pepper says
Totally delicious! I used mixed baby greens and added kalamata olives. Broiled the fish on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and put the rack at mid-level so it wasn’t too close to the broiler. Broiling time was the same as grilling time.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for sharing your broiling method for the salmon, Pepper! Glad to hear it was similar timing to grilling.
Kate says
So good. Dressing was light and very fresh tasting. Will be making again!!!
Jessica Gavin says
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the salad, Kate!
Val says
Can I leave the honey out of dressing if I haven’t got it
Dave says
This was stunning!
We were getting very tired with my regular, quite boring salad, and can’t believe how good this was. It would have been delicious even without the salmon.
Definitely making again. Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Great to hear that you enjoyed the salmon salad, Dave!
Lisa says
Made this last night! So good!
Cindy Towles says
I made this last night, and it was delicious! It is also DASH Diet friendly.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Cindy! Great to know that it’s also DASH diet-friendly.
Nikia Lewis says
I made this for my family last night and it was delicious!! I also used the leftover salad for my lunch today, the dressing is magnificent!
Thanks for the recipe.
Pam says
Can everything including the salmon be made a day ahead?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can make all of the components ahead of time. However, I would wait to add the dressing until right before you serve. Make sure to whisk the dressing as it may separate over time.
Kelly says
Hi!! All the three groceries that I went to didn’t have basil, is it gonna taste weird if I don’t put it?
Thank you!!
Mary says
I made this recipe for company and everyone loved it! It’s easy to make and is delicious! So glad I found it.