Superfood Salmon Salad

This salmon salad is loaded with roasted sweet potato croutons, avocado, pickled onions and dressed in a light lemon vinaigrette! It’s an easy go-to meal you’ll love having as part of your weekly rotation.

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, but I love doing recipe recreations! And I’ve got another copycat recipe for ya today! This salad is inspired by the grilled superfood salmon salad at Bonefish Grill.

It’s kind of funny because although I’ve been to Bonefish Grill before (many years ago) I’ve actually never had the superfood salmon salad, but it sounded delicious, so I thought it would be fun to recreate!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It has all the components of good meal-sized salad… protein, smart carbs, healthy fats, lots of veggies and satisfaction factor!
• This is the perfect recipe for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
• You can easily prep parts of this salad ahead of time for quick assembly.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS SUPERFOOD SALAD:

Salmon Health Benefits

Salmon is a superfood in my book! It’s packed with long-chain omega-3 fatty acids which can help reduce inflammation and blood pressure. It’s a great source of protein and has a ton of key vitamins and minerals. Studies have linked salmon to protecting brain health, reducing heart disease and weight control. (Source)

The nutrition facts for wild vs. farmed salmon are kind of crazy! If I didn’t do some research, I would have thought the stats would have been fairly similar. Not the case! Farmed salmon has a lot more fat, almost three times the amount of omega-6 fatty acids and three times the amount of saturated fat. It also has almost 50% more calories. Farmed salmon also generally has higher amounts of contaminants.

Disclaimer after having said all of that: all salmon is still good salmon! Wild-caught salmon can be more expensive and not available in every grocery store so get what’s available and what you can afford.

Ingredients Needed

• salmon fillets – both wild salmon and farmed salmon have benefits! While wild salmon might be considered the better choice, it is more expensive and farmed salmon is still a great option! 
• avocado oil – I personally like searing my salmon in a little avocado oil because the salmon gets golden and a little crispy.
• sea salt and pepper – for a little seasoning.
• baby kale + romaine – any greens would work here.
• sweet potato croutons – the perfect healthy salad topping.
• avocado – for some creaminess and healthy fat.
• pickled red onions – a great way to add some extra flavor and a pop of color!
• feta –  the feta adds a bit of creaminess to the salad and gives it a little tang as well. I recommend using vegan feta to make this salad dairy-free if needed! You could omit it, but you’ll lose a lot of flavor.
• pepitas – aka pumpkin seeds, which is one of my favorite seeds. Feel free to swap these for another seed or nut.
• lemon vinaigrette dressing – a mixture of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup (or honey), oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. It’s a light, fresh and super easy dressing that pairs perfectly with the salmon!

Customize Your Superfood Salmon Salad

This salad is completely customizable! Here are some suggestions for variations and substitutions:

• Switch up the greens – if you’re not a romaine or baby kale fan, feel free to use your favorite leafy green instead.
• Make this dairy-free and vegan – simply skip the feta cheese (or use a vegan option).
• Use different veggies – Have different veggies on hand? Toss them in! Cucumber, cabbage, broccoli or bell peppers would be delicious additions.
• Use a different protein – swap the salmon with chicken or if you want to make this salad vegetarian swap in tempeh, tofu or beans!
• Switch up the dressing – craving a different dressing? This red wine vinaigrette, white balsamic vinaigrette, or apple cider vinaigrette would be delicious on this salad!
• Swap the seeds for nuts – if you have a seed allergy or if you just prefer nuts you can swap the pepitas for almonds or another nut of choice. Sunflower seeds would also be delicious.
• Add fresh herbs – I love adding fresh herbs to my salads. Fresh chives, oregano or dill would all be delicious in this salad.

How to Prep in Advance

If you want the real deal but don’t have time to make everything in this salad in one night, you can prep some of the components in advance for faster assembly. Here’s what I would prep in advance:

• Sweet potato croutons – these only take about 25 minutes to cook but that’s precious time on busy weeknights! Make these during your weekend meal prep for quick assembly on the night of.
• Pickled onions – this step is hands-off once you slice the onion and make the vinegar mixture.
• Dressing – so simple to whip this up in advance!

More Meal-Sized Salad Recipes to Try

• Blackened Tempeh Salad
• BBQ Chicken Salad
• Blackened Chicken Cobb Salad
• Quinoa Spinach Salad
• Cheeseburger Salad

More Salmon Recipes to Try

• Mediterranean Salmon Salad
• Maple Glazed Salmon
• Air Fryer Salmon
• Grilled Salmon Salad
• Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon
• Blackened Salmon
• Teriyaki Salmon
• Miso Salmon

Be sure to check out my full collection of meal-sized salads as well as all the salmon recipes on EBF!