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This Pan-Seared Salmon Salad is a delightful light salad that’s topped with a creamy basil dressing. Fresh bibb lettuce is mild in flavor and has both a soft and crisp texture that pairs well with crisp vegetables like cucumbers and carrots.
The creamy herb dressing is simple to make and highlights the fresh flavors of the bibb lettuce without being overpowering. You can make this as a side salad or a main dish, especially with a protein like seared-salmon.
Serve this simple seared salmon salad with sweet corn pasta or this delicious chickpea pasta salad.
You’ll love this seared salmon salad recipe because:
- Healthy – With fresh vegetables like cucumber, carrots, and lettuce, it’s a great brain food boost to add to your meal.
- Simple – Very simple ingredients combine to make this a great side salad, or the base for a main dinner when paired with a simple, grilled protein. Perfect for weeknights!
- Diet Friendly – This salad and dressing fits gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30 and migraine diets!
- Flavorful – The creamy basil dressing is a reader favorite and pairs well with so many different meals!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Salmon – Choose a center cut fillet with skin-on or skin-off depending on personal preference!
- Bibb lettuce – Also known as butter lettuce or Boston lettuce, this makes a great based for a really light salad. This is the kind of lettuce you can get the spinach and arugula-haters to eat.
- Carrots – Pre-grated or freshly grated!
- Cucumbers – Look for English seedless cucumber.
- Creamy herb dressing – Delicious with fresh basil and mayo for a hint of creaminess, it brings out the best flavors of the salmon. For this all you need is mayonnaise, parsley, basil, vinegar, garlic, and oil.
Best Way to Wash Bibb Lettuce
Seared salmon pairs perfectly with this bibb lettuce salad. To keep it’s clamshell-like appearance, the best way to wash bibb lettuce is to pull apart each leaf by the stem, then place in a colander or salad spinner insert and run under cool water.
With a salad spinner, just spin the lettuce till dry. With a colander, place on a large towel and gently pat dry with another towel to keep the leaves in tact.
How to Make a Seared Salmon Salad
Step 1: Pan-Sear Salmon
To me, there’s nothing better than a great crispy layer on a salmon filet. That little crunch when you bite into it, but soft on the inside just hits the spot for me. I feel like you’re either a grilled salmon person or a pan-seared person and I’m definitely pan-seared.
However, getting that brown crust can be extremely difficult. I have some days it just doesn’t work out for me, but 99% of the time, this method works well.
- Take the salmon out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes, but the more room temperature, the better. Pat salmon completely dry before you begin.
- Heat oven safe pan over medium high heat for a few minutes until hot, but not smoking
- Season salmon with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil, then immediately put into the pan, skin side up.
- Sear, untouched, for 4 minutes. The only reason you should touch it is to gently pat the sides if they curl up. They should relax after a good pat-down. Salmon will release easily from the pan when it’s nice and brown
- Flip and transfer to the oven at 425 degrees, baking for about 8 minutes.
- Let it rest, covered, until it cools a little bit, about 3-4 minutes
The most important item being not touching it once it first hits the pan!
Step 2: Make the Dressing
Combine the mayo, basil, parsley, vinegar, and garlic in a food processor and pulse till chopped, combined. If you have a top with an opening, slowly drizzle in the oil as your processor is running until totally smooth and a light green color. Add salt and pepper to taste and chill for about 30 minutes, if possible.
Step 3: Make the Salad
Start with the bibb lettuce as the base, then add cucumbers, carrots, and seared salmon. Serve the dressing on the side or toss with the lettuce and vegetables before topping with salmon.
Expert Tips
- Don’t touch the salmon till it’s ready to flip. The best seared salmon has a beautifully crispy top layer. This comes from allowing the fillet to sear properly and not moving it around the pan.
- Use a food processor for the dressing. This dressing doesn’t work well in a blender, unless you have a top option that can slowly drizzle in the oil. A blender breaks apart the creaminess of the mayo and transforms it into an oily basil dressing. If you don’t have a food processor, you could also hand whisk it!
Dressing Options
Although I loved this seared salmon salad with creamy basil dressing, it also works well with other types of dressings and sauces! Here are a few that would work well with this recipe.
- Tartar Sauce
- Dijon Vinaigrette
- Ginger Sesame Dressing
- Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- Creamy Curry Dressing
- Basil Vinaigrette
- Caesar Salad Dressing (without anchovies)
- Green goddess
For sides I would recommend brown rice or roasted potatoes, roasted broccolini, green beans.
Storage Suggestions
For the salad – Store the lettuce and vegetables in the same container, and the salmon and dressing separately. The salad and salmon will last 2-3 days depending on how fresh they are to begin with.
For the dressing – If kept in an airtight container like a mason jar, the dressing should last about a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This seared salmon salad is delicious hot or cold, although I prefer it to at least be slightly warm or room temperature so that the salmon isn’t too hot to wilt the lettuce. This way it’s the perfect summer salad!
If you don’t want to serve this with the creamy basil dressing, salmon pairs well with lots of different herbs. Try tarragon, dill, parsley, chives, or thyme.
This recipe will help you sear most types of fish fillets, including halibut, cod, steelhead, or seared sea bass.
With this method, I recommend an oven safe pan, like a cast iron pan. Just make sure you heat the pan before placing the salmon into it.
Salad Recipes
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Seared Salmon Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh skin-on salmon, cut into individual servings
- 1 large carrot, shaved
- 1 head bibb lettuce
- 1/3 cup sliced English cucumbers
- avocado oil
- salt and pepper
Creamy Herb Dressing
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 garlic clove,
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or other light oil
Instructions
- Combine the mayo, basil, parsley, vinegar, and garlic in a food processor and pulse till chopped, combined. If you have a top with an opening, slowly drizzle in the oil as your processor is running until totally smooth and a light green color. Add salt and pepper to taste and chill for about 30 minutes, if possible.
- Take the salmon out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes before you intend to cook. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat salmon dry on both sides with a paper towel. Heat oven safe pan over medium high heat for a few minutes until hot, but not smoking.
- Season salmon with salt and pepper and brush with avocado oil, then immediately put into the pan, skin side up. Sear, untouched, for 4 minutes. The only reason you should touch it is to gently pat the sides if they curl up. They should relax after a good pat-down. Salmon will release easily from the pan when it’s nice and brown.
- Flip and transfer to the oven at 425 degrees, baking for about 8 minutes. Let it rest, covered with foil, until it cools a little bit, about 4 minutes
- Meanwhile use a vegetable peeler to shred carrots and arrange bibb lettuce on a plate. Add sliced cucumbers. Place the cooled salmon on top of the lettuce and add the dressing.
Notes
- This recipe can serve 2-3 people depending on how big you’d like your salmon portions to be.
- This dressing is best when made in the food processor. If made with a blender, you need a blender that can go at a low speed and can slowly add the oil in on top. If blended, the mayo can break up and it turns more oily and chunky instead of smooth and creamy.
- This dressing will keep in the fridge for up to one week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post and recipe was written June 11, 2020 and has been updated July 2023 with new photos and recipe tips. Below was an original photograph.
Not only is this a delicious meal but the cooking directions for the salmon are now my go-to for other recipes as well! Always turns out cooked just right and quick and easy.
Thanks so much, Petra!! You will have to try it with this Mediterranean salad dressing sometime. So good too!
Delicious and paired great with the dressing!