Smoked Salmon Salad Recipe (2024)

Ingredients

• Red Onion — Thinly sliced red onion is key here. Don’t skip the soaking in water, it takes off that raw bite taste. Pickled red onions would also be good too if you prefer.
• Tossed Salad Greens — I usually just purchase one of those boxes of mixed greens but you can use any greens you like.
• Hard Boiled Eggs — See notes for how to hard boil the eggs. Slice them lengthwise for maximum coverage.
• Avocados — I like to slice ripe avocados lengthwise just like the eggs. I think it makes for a prettier salad and a bigger bite!
• Smoked Salmon — Use a high-quality brand of smoked salmon if you can find it. It is usually in the seafood department, in the refrigerated section.
• Whole Pistachios — Add cracked, whole pistachios, or chop them roughly if you prefer.
• Fresh Lemon Juice — There’s just something about freshly squeezed lemon juice, it’s so much more flavorful and brighter, more citrusy tasting. But you can certainly use bottled lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand.
• Wholegrain Mustard — Not only is wholegrain mustard good for you, it’s delicious too. Plus, it gives an added texture with whole mustard seeds.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil — I almost always use extra virgin olive oil, but you can use whatever olive oil you have.
• Maple Syrup — Use the real-deal maple syrup here if you have it. If not, swap for honey or agave or leave it out.
• Salt — A pinch here, a pinch there in the dressing — keep tasting till it meets your exact specifications.

Here’s How You Make It

1. First, slice the red onion into thin strips, then cover the sliced red onion with cold water and set aside for at least 10 minutes. (Soaking the onion removes the raw onion taste).
2. While the onion soaks, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or you can also shake them all together in a Mason jar with a lid.
3. Next, divide the salad greens between four bowls and arrange the sliced eggs and avocados on top.
4. Drain the onion and pat it dry on a piece of kitchen paper. Scatter the onions across the salad, along with the smoked salmon and chopped pistachios.
5. Drizzle over the dressing just before serving.

Is Smoked Salmon Still Raw?

Smoked salmon is cooked with hot smoke. So yes, it is indeed cooked and doesn’t need to be cooked again before putting on top of this salmon salad recipe.

How Long Does it Take to Smoke Salmon?

Smoking salmon usually takes about 3-4 hours, depending on the size of your salmon. Typically, a large side of salmon, or filet is smoked and not the whole fish at once. A good smoking temperature is about 225℉ in a smoker (or a grill that has a smoking option). The salmon’s internal temperature should react 145℉ when it’s done and safe to eat.

What Goes Well With Smoked Salmon?