Flavorful smoked salmon, silky avocado, and a bright Dijon honey vinaigrette bring the most incredible flavors and colors to this company-worthy smoked salmon salad!
Welcome to the first salad of 2021! It’s a pretty show-stopping beauty which I think is exactly the kind of energy the new year needs.
Whether you’re looking for a fresh, healthy lunch or dinner option for the new year or need a stunner side dish, this smoked salmon salad is definitely going to deliver!
It’s got protein, cheese, tons of vegetables, silky avocado, a killer vinaigrette, and plenty of spring greens rolling in for salad duty! No going wrong here.
I feel like this part of the year is when winter really starts to hit home, at least in the midwest, and a big colorful loaded salad really helps lift the spirits.
That’s most definitely the case with this salad. Jason isn’t even a huge salad guy and he said this was one of the best he’s ever had and he was actually excited to eat it (let’s be honest, not a common salad trait)
This Smoked Salmon Salad features…
- A bed of fresh, leafy spring greens
- Tender smoked salmon pieces
- Silky avocado slices
- Crisp cucumber slices and sweet cherry tomatoes
- Crumbled feta for a little richness
- A sweet ‘n’ tangy honey Dijon mustard dressing
- Fresh dill sprigs + a handful of pomegranate seeds for garnish
Making the Smoked Salmon Salad
(scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!)
Building the Salad
I use a spring greens mix as the base for this salad, but you can definitely use another mix of greens if that’s your preference/what’s in season.
For salad vegetables, I keep it simple with sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Feel free to throw in sweet peppers, red onions, etc. if that’s what you like!
For salad extras, I recommend feta cheese (pairs best with the salmon!) a few fresh dill sprigs for extra herbiness and a handful of pomegranate seeds for some crunch.
Picking out your Smoked Salmon
For this salad, you won’t need more than about 6 oz smoked salmon. It will come fully cooked and you can then tear it into bite-sized pieces for the salad.
You’ll find smoked salmon in the deli area of most major grocery stores, but if you absolutely can’t locate it you have a couple options:
- Pan sear a 6 oz salmon filet using this this guide for pan searing salmon
- Oven bake a 6 oz salmon filet at 375F 12-15 minutes until salmon registers 125F
Making the Dressing
You can make this dressing in a food processor/blender or by hand in a mixing bowl! Whatever you prefer.
Whisk fresh lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard until smooth, then slowly begin adding olive oil, whisking constantly until smooth.
Note: if using food processor/blender, drizzle the oil through the top while blending.
Whisk in fresh minced dill and season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
Make Ahead Option
- Make the dressing and store in fridge up to 6 days
- Build the entire salad (minus the avocado and salmon) up to 8 hours in advance and store in fridge
- When ready to serve, cut avocado and tear salmon then arrange on salad along with dill + pomegranate seed garnishes. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
The amount of flavors and textures we’re able to build into this salad will almost make you forget you’re eating a salad!
The fresh herbiness from the honey dijon dill dressing, the sweetness from the pomegranate, the smoky salmon, the silky avocado…it’s just incredible.
This is definitely a very company-worthy salad (hello, it’s gorgeous!) but it’s also definitely easy enough to pull off for a quick lunch or dinner salad.
Wherever you choose to eat it, I guarantee you’ll enjoy!
More salad favorites you’ll definitely want to try next!
- Strawberry Poppyseed Spinach Pasta Salad
- Cherry Pistachio Greek Yogurt Curry Chicken Salad
- Balsamic Bleu Cheese Strawberry Steak Salad
Avocado Smoked Salmon Salad with Dijon Honey Vinaigrette
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Avocado Smoked Salmon Salad
- 8 cups mixed greens (such as a spring mix)
- 2 medium ripe avocados, pit removed and diced into 1-in cubes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium cucumber, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons
- 6 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dijon Honey Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pomegranate seeds and additional fresh dill for garnishing, optional
Instructions
Avocado Smoked Salmon Salad
- In a large salad bowl, combine greens, avocado, tomato, cucumber, smoked salmon, and feta. Set aside while you prepare the dressing.
Dijon Honey Vinaigrette
- In a medium bowl, whisk lemon juice, honey, and mustard until smooth. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until dressing is smooth and emulsified. Whisk in dill, salt, and pepper to taste. Store dressing in fridge until ready to use.
- Just before serving, drizzle salad dressing over assembled salad and toss to evenly coat. Garnish salad with pomegranate seeds and additional fresh dill if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Catherine Lee says
Oh my goodness, this is an absolutely beautiful salad and so healthy. And it has all my fave ingredients! I give 5 stars just for that, and knowing I’ll absolutely enjoy every bite. Def planning on this sometime this week, really craving salads and soups these days. Thank you! Great recipes and a fun blog, I spend hours checking it out on the reg!
Sarah says
Oh my gosh, that’s so kind of you to say! Thanks for reading my blog, Catherine and let me know if you try any recipes! 🙂
Sabrina says
a completely new salad to me, and have even resolved to eat more salmon this year so appreciate the salad and the salmon!
Sarah says
This salad will definitely help you meet that goal! 😉 Thanks Sabrina!
Sharley says
I had no feta so used a combination of mozzarella and gorgonzola crumbled together. Had no honey so used agave syrup and dried dill instead of fresh. No cucumber, added red onion and it was really delicious! So rich and creamy and fantastic.
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing your modifications, Sharley! I’m so happy to hear this salad was a hit. 😊
Lisa says
Delicious! I was very skeptical about smoked salmon with feta, but wow was I ever wrong! The dressing was just perfect too. Thank you!
Sarah says
I’m so glad to hear that, Lisa! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Jaclyn says
This was exceptional! Such a light and flavorful salad. This will be my staple in the summer! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us 🙂 I made the salad as-is with no modifications and it was perfect.
Dave says
Fantastic! Wife and I really enjoyed this recipe. Made no changes but chose to use less than full amount of dressing. Used kokanee, which is a land locked sockeye with high oil content. Actually found this recipe because I had just finished smoking up a batch.
Sarah says
I’ll bet this salad was absolutely incredible with home-smoked salmon! 🙂 Glad to hear you loved this one, Dave!
Emily says
Yummy! What a terrific salad! So delicious and flavorful.
Sarah says
So glad you enjoyed, Emily! 🙂
Christie says
This is slick an amazing salad. I make it all the time.
Sarah says
I’m so happy to hear that, Christie! Thanks for reporting back. 🙂
Tiffany Rooprai says
Really great salad and dressing, but I did forget the Dijon and yet the dressing was still super amazing!
Alfredo says
Amazing salad with one of the best salad dressings I’ve ever had!
Sarah says
That’s so awesome to hear! Glad you enjoyed. 🙂
Teresa says
Wonderful recipe! Left out the feta cheese and tomatoes. Used maple syrup instead of honey. Fabulous!
Sarah says
That’s great to hear, Teresa! Thanks for reporting back. 🙂
ROM DE GUZMAN says
DELICIOUS! THANK YOU
ROM DE GUZMAN says
BEST RECIPE!
Sarah says
Thanks so much, enjoy! 🙂
Martin Landry says
Haven’t tried it, sounds incredible. I would use more smoked salmon (admittedly, I tend to overdo it), just thinking a little more protein.
Sarah says
Hi Martin! You can certainly add more smoked salmon to your liking in this salad! 🙂 hope you enjoy it.