Salmon Salad with Dill – Kalyn’s Kitchen

posted by Kalyn Denny on July 21, 2021

This Salmon Salad with Dill is perfect to make with leftover salmon, or cook a few pieces of salmon just to make this tasty salad!

PIN the salmon salad recipe to try it later!

Salmon Salad with Dill finished salad in serving bowl

Is it possible to take some leftover salmon, add celery and green onions and a lemony dressing, and create a salad you’ll absolutely drool over? I’m happy to report it is, and this Salmon Salad with Dill is perfect for anyone who has ever wondered what to do with leftover salmon. Or if you’re scratching your head and saying, “Who has leftover salmon?” I’ll give you instructions in the recipe for quickly cooking a few pieces of salmon to make this tasty salmon salad recipe! If you have some fresh dill that will only improve this delicious salad, but even with dried dill weed in the dressing anyone who likes salmon and dill is going to love this salad.

This recipe was back in the archives of my blog for quite a few years, and when I decided to update the recipe to make more servings and upgrade the photos, my taste testers didn’t prefer the original dressing that used Greek Yogurt to replace some of the mayo. But if you’re not a mayo fan, feel free to make that switch. And this salad will benefit from about 30 minutes chilling time, but when we tested the new version of the recipe we devoured some immediately after we took these photos and it was very tasty!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

More About Dill:

Dill is an annual herb, and it’s relatively easy to grow. Luckily, if you let the plant go to seed at the end of the season, it will drop enough seeds to come up again the following year so it’s perfect for herb gardens. Dill is used in three ways, with the fresh leaves being called dill, the dried leaves called dill weed, and the seeds called dill seed.

Recipes to help you have leftover salmon:

I cook salmon often, but I realize it’s probably a bit of a splurge for most food budgets. But cooking it at home is certainly cheaper than having salmon in a restaurant, and salmon is easy to cook well! If you want to make a salmon recipe where leftovers will be good used in this salad, check out Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard Herb Sauce, Roasted Salmon with Avocado Salsa, Roasted Salmon and Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Meal, Greek Salmon with Tzatziki Sauce, Salmon with Tomato-Olive Relish, or Roasted Lemon Salmon and Asparagus Sheet Pan Meal.

What if you don’t have any leftover Salmon?

  1. If you don’t have leftover salmon, thaw frozen salmon fillets in the fridge, then drain and pat dry.
  2. Rub salmon on both sides with olive oil and Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link) or your favorite fish rub.
  3. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a hot frying pan, then add salmon pieces and cook about 3-4 minutes per side. 
  4. Salmon is done when it’s firm but not hard to the touch when you press down with a finger.
  5. Let salmon cool and use in the recipe.

Salmon Salad with Dill process shots collage

How to make this salmon salad recipe:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

  1. At my house leftover salmon will have been seasoned with Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link) so I recommend adding about 1/2 teaspoon of that to the dressing if your salmon isn’t seasoned. 
  2. Flake the salmon apart with a fork. 
  3. Put chunks of salmon into a bowl.
  4. Whisk together dressing ingredients, using 2 teaspoons dried dill weed or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, whichever you have.
  5. Wash and dry celery, then cut into slices. 
  6. Wash and dry green onions, then slice. 
  7. Add sliced celery and green onions to the flaked salmon in the bowl and stir to mix ingredients.
  8. Add dressing and gently combine.
  9. Chill salad for 30 minutes if you can, or longer chilling time is fine.

Salmon Salad with Dill finished salad in serving bowl

More Tasty Ideas with Salmon:

Salmon and Asparagus Salad
Roasted Asian Salmon and Green Beans Sheet Pan Meal
Baked Salmon with Pesto and Tomatoes

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. leftover cooked salmon, or slightly more (see instructions for how to cook salmon if needed)
  • 1 1/2 cups celery, cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onion

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 T Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (see notes)
  • 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
  • 1 tsp. celery seed
  • 1/2 tsp. Beau Monde seasoning
  • 2 tsp. dried dill weed (see notes)
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. At my house leftover salmon will have been seasoned with Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link) so I highly recommend adding about 1/2 teaspoon of that to the dressing if your salmon isn’t seasoned with it. 
  1. Start by flaking the salmon apart with a fork. You want rather largish chunks, since it will get broken up a bit more when you’re mixing it.
  2. Put chunks of salmon into a bowl that’s large enough to hold all the salad ingredients.
  3. Whisk together mayo, Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (or other low-sugar vinaigrette), fresh lemon juice, celery seed, Beau Monde seasoning, 2 teaspoons dried dill weed or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, and salt and pepper to taste to make the dressing.
  4. Wash and dry celery, then cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick. 
  5. Wash and dry green onions, then slice into thin slices. 
  6. Add sliced celery and green onions to the flaked salmon in the bowl and stir gently to mix.
  7. Add dressing and gently combine with salad ingredients.
  8. Chill salad for 30 minutes if you can, or longer chilling time is fine.

How to Quickly Cook the Salmon if you don’t have leftover Salmon:

If you don’t have leftover salmon, thaw frozen salmon fillets in the fridge, then drain and pat dry. Rub salmon on both sides with olive oil and Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link) or your favorite fish rub. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a hot frying pan, then add salmon pieces and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, or until salmon is firm but not hard to the touch when you press down with a finger. Let salmon cool and use in the recipe.

Notes

Use any low-sugar vinaigrette you prefer if you don’t have Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link). I like sour flavors; you may prefer a bit less lemon juice.

If you have fresh dill, skip the dried dill weed and use 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill.

Recipe created by Kalyn when she had leftover salmon and fresh dill in the garden.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 477Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 658mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 26g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Salmon Salad with Dill square thumbnail image of finished salad in serving bowl

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This salmon salad recipe is a wonderful meal for low-carb eating plans, including Keto. Personally I would eat this for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but if you’re following the letter of the law for South Beach this salad would be a bit high in fat, even if you use light mayo.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2008 as a one-serving salad that I made with some leftover salmon. It was updated in 2021 with a greatly-improved recipe to make four servings, better photos, and more information about how to make the salad and the ingredients.

Salmon Salad with Dill Pinterest image