What is salmon salad?
On this page it is warm grilled salmon flaked over cold greens with cucumber, tomato, red onion, and lemon-Dijon — two servings from 300g fillet, about 340 calories and 32g protein each. The contrast is the dish: hot fish, cold leaves. It is not tuna salad (mayo, celery, cans) and not a salmon rice bowl.
Nutrition and macros by portion
The label is one of two servings: 340 calories, 32g protein, 10g carbs, 20g fat.
| Portion | Salmon | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighter | 100 g | 260 | 22g | 9g | 14g |
| This serving | 150 g | 340 | 32g | 10g | 20g |
| Hungry | 200 g | 410 | 40g | 10g | 25g |
Salmon fat is mostly in the fish; the vinaigrette is 1 tbsp oil for the whole bowl. Hungry is more fillet, not more oil. Skin eaten adds a little fat and crunch.
Cook until it flakes, then stop
Dry the 300g fillet, salt, pepper, thin oil. Take the chill off 10 minutes. Grill or pan 4–5 minutes a side depending on thickness. Center just opaque, or 50–52°C for medium. Rest 3 minutes. Fork into large flakes. Skin can come off after cooking. Keep the brown juices.
If you only have leftover roasted salmon, flake it cold. Good. You lose steam-on-lettuce, you keep 20 minutes. Canned salmon: drain, vinaigrette, no sear — closer to a fish tuna salad without mayo.
Lemon vinaigrette, dry leaves
Four cups greens, spun dry. Tomatoes halved, cucumber sliced, onion paper-thin (soak if loud). Whisk 2 tbsp lemon, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp Dijon, salt, pepper. Toss vegetables. Warm salmon on top, remaining dressing over the fish. Temperature contrast is why this is not leftover fish on sad lettuce.
Meal-prep salmon salad
Cook once, eat twice. Fish in a box 2 days. Greens and dressing apart. Flake at lunch. Microwave the fish 20–30 seconds if you want it warm; do not nuke the leaves. If the fillet smells fishy-sour when raw, do not cook it “to save it.” If you wanted a 10-minute pantry lunch, tuna salad. If you wanted chicken, grilled chicken salad.
Warm fish, cold greens — 300g fillet for two
This salmon salad is 300g salmon fillet over mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, onion, lemon-Dijon vinaigrette — two plates at about 340 calories and 32g protein. The fish is cooked until it flakes, then it stops. It is not canned tuna mash (tuna salad) and not raw salmon poke. Skin-on is fine for the pan; serve skin off or crisp on the side. Skin calories are small; the mistake is cooking the fillet like chicken to 74°C all the way through until it is dry chalk.
Just opaque, or about 50–52°C in the center if you use a thermometer — it will carry-over. Pan: medium-high, 4–6 minutes skin-side, flip 2–3, rest. Oven: 200°C, 10–14 minutes depending on thickness. Air fryer: 190°C, 8–12 minutes. Leftover cooked salmon from dinner is the weekday version; flake it cold or warm it gently. Microwave on high turns it to rubber and a smell that follows you.
Lemon vinaigrette, dry leaves, do not hide the fish
2 tbsp lemon, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp Dijon for two plates — sharp, like the rotisserie salad. Dress greens first. Flake salmon on top in big pieces so it still looks like fish. Tossing it to paste is tuna’s job. 4 cups mixed greens must be dry. Tomato and cucumber as written. Onion ¼, soaked if harsh. Capers or dill are variations; a tablespoon of capers is extra salt.
Farm vs wild changes fat a bit. This label is a typical 300g fillet split in two. A tiny 120g “portion” from a restaurant is not 32g protein. Weigh raw. Frozen fillets: thaw in the fridge on a plate, pat dry, same cook. Canned salmon works in an emergency, drained hard; it tastes like canned salmon. Bones in canned are edible; texture is not the same as a fresh flake.
Meal-prep without fishy boxes
Cook salmon, cool fast, box 3–4 days. Greens separate. Dressing in a jar. Combine at lunch. Warm fish on cold salad is good; reheat only the fish, low, or eat it cold. If the fridge smells like the dock, the box was warm too long or the fish was old — throw it out. Do not freeze dressed salad. Frozen cooked salmon reheated for this plate is drier; lemon helps, oil does not need to double.
Hungry is more of the 300g fish, not more oil. Avocado is an add-on. This is not grilled chicken salad (45g protein, 520 calories) and not a mayo salmon spread. If you wanted 10 minutes and a can, that is tuna. Keep this URL for the cooked fillet.
Skin, pin bones, and carry-over heat
Run your fingers against the grain of the raw fillet for pin bones; pull with tweezers. Pat dry so it sears. Salt early, 10 minutes, while the pan heats. Skin-side down first in a thin film of oil (the dressing oil is separate from a film in the pan — if you fry in 2 extra tablespoons, that is not the 340-calorie plate). Leave it until the skin releases. If it sticks, it is not ready. Flip once. Rest. Carry-over will finish a slightly translucent center. Chalk-white dry flakes are overcooked salmon. Lemon vinaigrette cannot put the moisture back; it can only season the damage.
Wild salmon is leaner and overcooks faster. Farmed is fatter and more forgiving. Both work at 300g for two. A 200g fillet is not this protein number. Frozen: thaw in the fridge, never in hot water, pat very dry. Canned salmon: drain, flake, use as a pantry version — bones mashed in add calcium and a gritty texture some people hate. Say so if you go canned so eaters are not surprised.
Dill, capers, and what stays off this plate
Dill and capers are the restaurant garnish. A tablespoon of capers is salty; skip extra salt. Cucumber, tomato, onion as written. Avocado is extra fat. Creamy dill dressing is extra calories. This vinaigrette is lemon, oil, Dijon — same family as rotisserie chicken salad, different protein. Do not Caesar-dress salmon and keep 340. Do not mayo-mash leftover salmon and keep this URL; that mash is tuna’s method.
Meal-prep: cool the fish fast, lid once cold, 3 days. Reheat low or eat cold. Warm salmon on cold greens is the luxury version of this salad. Fishy fridge: the box was sealed hot or the fish was old. Throw it. Hungry is more of the 300g, not more oil. If 32g is light, add 50g extra fillet next time and count ~40–50 calories and ~10g protein. Chicken is cheaper protein; that is why the chicken salads exist. This page is for when you wanted salmon.
Flake big, dress the leaves, stop at opaque
Salmon that flakes into the vinaigrette until it looks like tuna was over-tossed or overcooked. Big flakes on dressed greens. 300g raw fillet, two plates, 32g protein, 340 calories if the oil stays 1 tbsp in the dressing and the pan is a film, not a pond. 50–52°C and rest, or just-opaque in the center. Leftover dinner salmon is the Tuesday version. Canned is the pantry version. Chicken salads exist when you wanted cheaper protein. This URL is the fish.
Dill and capers optional. Avocado extra. Creamy dressing extra. Box the fish cold, greens dry, jar the lemon. Three days. Reheat the fish low or eat it cold. If the fridge smells like a dock, the fish was sealed hot or it was old. Throw it away.
300g fillet, two plates, 32g
Cook just until it flakes. Rest. Big pieces on lemon-dressed greens. 1 tbsp oil in the vinaigrette for two. Pan film, not a deep fry. 340 calories, 32g protein. Frozen thaw in the fridge. Leftovers cold or low-warm. Canned drained if that is what you have. Pin bones out. Skin in the pan, off the plate if you want. Dill and capers optional. Avocado and creamy bottles extra. Chicken is cheaper. Tuna is faster. This page is salmon.
Pat dry, salt, hot pan, skin first, flip once, just opaque, rest, flake big onto lemon greens. 300g for two, 32g protein, 340 calories, 1 tbsp oil in the dressing. Thermometer 50–52°C if you have one. Frozen thawed in the fridge. Leftovers cold. Canned in a pinch. Dill optional. Chicken cheaper. Tuna faster. Cooked salmon here.
A 300g fillet is two lunches if you do not overcook it. Hot pan, dry fish, skin down, flip once, rest, big flakes, lemon greens, 1 tbsp oil in the dressing. 32g, 340 calories. Leftovers cold. Frozen thawed in the fridge. Dill if you have it. Creamy bottles if you count them. Chicken and tuna exist. This is salmon.
Carry-over, flakes, and 32g
Pull the salmon when the center is still a little darker than the edge. Rest five minutes. It will finish. Then flake into large pieces so the plate still looks like fish. 150g cooked-from-150g-raw-ish per person from a 300g fillet. 32g protein, 340 calories, lemon vinaigrette, dry greens. Overcooked chalk needs more lemon and still will not be juicy. Underdone for your comfort: more heat, not more oil. Leftovers cold. Chicken if you wanted cheaper. Tuna if you wanted a can. This URL is the fillet.
Pin bones out before the pan. Pat the fillet dry so it sears instead of steaming. Salt ten minutes while the pan heats. Skin releases when it is ready to flip — if it tears, give it another minute. Rest, then flake. 300g raw for two plates is the 32g protein line. A 180g restaurant slice is not. Lemon vinaigrette on dry greens, oil measured, fish on top. That is the salad.
