Grilled Salmon Salad with Fresh Herbs
Recipe Key
This Grilled Salmon Salad is made of succulent grilled salmon, crispy lettuces, fresh vegetables and lots of herbs. The tangy Lemon Basil Dressing complements the richness of the salmon. It’s a delicious, nutritious salad with a fresh herbal taste. An easy high protein summer meal, perfect for a weeknight or your summer barbecue with friends.
When the summer is hot I try not to turn on the oven. I love salmon and one of the easiest ways to cook it is on the grill. Because of it’s high fat content it stays moist and tender. But it you don’t have a grill I include instructions for making it in the oven.
Pair it with lettuces from the garden, a few vegetables and lots of herbs to create a delicious summer meal.
The Lemon Basil Dressing is light and healthy, made in a blender with simple fresh ingredients. It adds just the right amount of acidity to balance the salmon and bring the salad together.
Properly grilled salmon is flavorful and juicy. In this post I’ll give you all my tips on how to to make the perfect grilled salmon.
Why I Love This Dish
- high in protein
- vibrant refreshing flavors
- contrasting tastes and textures
- perfect for summer, can be made without turning on the stove or oven
- easy to make
- full of vitamins and minerals
- the tangy Lemon Basil Dressing brings the dish together
Ingredients and Substitutions
This is a versatile dish you can customize to your own tastes. Below is what I use and a few options.
Salad
- Organic or wild salmon fillet – Get one piece, from the center. Cooking salmon in one piece keeps it moist. You can substitute other fish, or even chicken, for the salmon.
- Salad Greens – A mixture of crunchy and soft lettuces, arugula or watercress.
- Mixed Herbs – I use cilantro, mint and basil but any herbs you like are good, you don’t need all three.
- Salad Vegetables – I use radishes, cucumbers and carrots. Red peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and sprouts are also good. Use a mandoline for easy slicing.
Dressing
This dressing has a delicious lemony basil flavor. But if you want to use a different dressing, go for it!
- Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed is best, use a lemon squeezer to make it easy
- Dijon Mustard – helps incorporate the oil and vinegar
- Honey – just a little for sweetness, you can leave it out if you don’t like added sweeteners
- Garlic – fresh is best
- Avocado – just a little, it makes the dressing creamier, if it’s not available leave it out and add a little more oil
- Basil Leaves – fresh leaves are key for this recipe
- Oregano – fresh or dried
- Olive Oil – use a high quality olive oil for best flavor
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Tips on How To Grill Salmon
Salmon is easy to grill. Here are my tips for grilled salmon that’s moist and flavorful.
- Leave the skin on your salmon fillets. The skin keeps the salmon together and prevents burning. Remove the skin before serving. You can use a spatula to remove the salmon from the grill, leaving the skin behind. Remove the skin from the grill and discard.
- 🌟 Clean and oil your grill. Scrape your grill with a grill brush before heating, then again once it’s hot. To oil the grill, I keep a rag with vegetable oil in a small container and rub it on the grill right before adding the fish. A an oiled paper towel will also work.
- Brush the salmon with oil.
- Grill salmon on medium – or even medium low, if you know your grill is very hot. I heat the grill on high then turn it down to medium when adding the fish. You’ll get light grill marks without it burning. You don’t want burnt salmon. You can always cook it longer.
- Put the flesh side down first. It’s the presentation side and is more fragile. The skin side is hardier and can handle cooking longer if needed. You don’t have to worry about the skin burning since you’re going to remove it before serving.
- 🌟 Do not move the salmon once you put it on the grill. It will stick to the grill initially but will release once it’s cooked. If it’s time to turn it and it’s still sticking, let it cook a little longer before flipping over.
- Watch for flare ups. Once you turn the salmon over and it’s cooking on the skin, you may get a flare up. If that happens use a spatula to move it away from the fire and turn down the heat. For small flare-ups, you can try lightly spritzing water on the flames but be careful it may splatter.
How to know when salmon is done?
You can tell that your salmon is done a few ways. Basically salmon is done when it’s cooked to medium, which means it’s semi-translucent in the center. It takes about 13 minutes per inch of thickness.
- Temperature: The most scientific way to tell if your salmon is done is to use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees F depending on how you like it.
- Texture: Salmon is cooked when it can easily be flaked with a fork and is an opaque, soft pink color that is a little darker in the center. This is the method I use.
Remember your salmon will continue to cook after you remove it from the grill. It’s better to undercook rather than overcook, dried salmon is not good. You can always put it back on the fire.
How To Make Grilled Salmon Salad
Step 1: Make the Dressing
In a blender or food processor, add the lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, avocado, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With the blender running on low speed, slowly add in the olive oil, processing until lightly thickened, about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Season the Salmon and Light the Grill
Season the salmon with salt and pepper, brush with oil, set aside. Heat the grill on high.
Step 3: Prepare the Salad Ingredients
Wash lettuces, cut vegetables. Wash the herbs but don’t chop them until ready to serve.
Step 4: Grill the Salmon
Oil the grill. Turn it down to medium and place the salmon on the grill skin side up. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side depending on how thick your salmon is. (See notes above.)
Step 5: Put It All Together
When the salmon is cooked, use a spatula to transfer it to a plate, leaving the skin on the grill. Spoon some dressing over it. Let it cool slightly, then break up the fish into large chunks.
Place greens, radishes, cucumber, carrots in a large shallow bowl or on a platter. Chop or tear the herbs and add to the salad. Add a little more of the dressing and toss. Top with the salmon chunks and drizzle with more of the dressing. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
Storage
The Lemon Basil Dressing will keep for 3-5 days in a jar in the refrigerator.
If you’re not going to eat all the salad or salmon right away, store separately without any dressing. Add the dressing when ready to serve. The grilled salmon and salad will stay fresh for 2 days as long as you don’t add the dressing.
You’re going to love this beautiful summer dish of tender, juicy grilled salmon, fresh garden salad and vegetables, lots of fresh herbs and a tangy Lemon Basil Dressing. It’s a light healthy salad full of flavor.
If you like this recipe you may also enjoy these other salmon dishes:
- Blackened Salmon On The Grill
- Pan Roasted Salmon with Tomato Vinaigrette
- Easy Lime Miso Salmon
- Roasted Dill Salmon
Here are a few more protein packed salads you may like:
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Grilled Salmon Salad with Fresh Herbs
This recipe is made with succulent grilled salmon, crispy lettuces, fresh vegetables and lots of herbs topped with a tangy Lemon Basil Dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish, Fish, Salad
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy Free
Ingredients
Lemon Basil Dressing
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey (leave out for Whole30)
- 1 small clove garlic, chopped
- 1/4 of an avocado
- 8 basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or 1 teaspoon fresh
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Salad
- 1¼ pounds organic or wild salmon fillet, in one piece, from the center, skin on
- 8 cups salad greens, a mixture of crunchy and soft lettuces
- 1 cup mixed herbs (such as cilantro, mint and basil), leaves and tender stems, torn or chopped
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
Instructions
- Make the Lemon Basil Dressing – In a blender, add the lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, avocado, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With the blender running on low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil, processing until lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper, brush with oil, set aside. Heat the grill on high or preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Prepare the salad ingredients. Wash lettuces, cut vegetables. Wash the herbs but don’t chop them until ready to serve.
- Oil the grill. Turn the it down to medium and place the salmon on the grill skin side up. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side depending on how thick your salmon is. (See notes above.) Individual fillets will cook faster than a single large piece. (Alternatively, roast the salmon on a baking sheet in the oven, until just cooked to taste, 7 to 12 minutes; you don’t have to flip it.)
- When the salmon is cooked, use a spatula to transfer it to a plate, leaving the skin on the grill. Spoon some dressing over it. Let it cool slightly, then break up the fish into large chunks.
- Place greens, radishes, cucumber, carrots in a large shallow bowl or on a platter. Chop/tear the herbs and add to the salad. Add a little more of the dressing and toss.
- Top with the salmon chunks and drizzle with more of the dressing. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
