4.95 from 51 votes

Superfood Salmon Salad

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Servings: 2

55 mins

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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!

A plate of superfood salad topped with a filet of salmon topped with quick pickled onions, sweet potato croutons and a lemon vinaigrette.

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. (Source)

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 measured out to make a superfood salmon salad: salmon, spring greens, pepitas, sweet potato croutons, lemon vinaigrette, pickled red onions, avocado oil, feta, avocado, salt and pepper.

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!
Two filets of salmon over a bed of superfood greens.

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 vinaigrettewhite 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.
A closeup of two salmon filets over a superfood 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!
A serving bowl of superfood salad topped with salmon filet.

More Meal-Sized Salad Recipes to Try

More Salmon Recipes to Try

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

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.

4.95 from 51 votes

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.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 2
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Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Make pickled red onions, the lemon vinaigrette dressing and bake your sweet potato croutons.
  • Season salmon filets with sea salt and ground pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet (a cast-iron works great) over medium-high heat. Place salmon in pan, skin side up for about 4 minutes or until the flesh is golden brown. Turn and cook until salmon is medium-rare, about 4 more minutes.
  • In a salad bowl, toss greens with sweet potato croutons, pickled red onions, feta and pepitas.
  • Divide between 2 plates. Top salad with salmon and avocado. Then drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Video

Notes

  • Dairy-free – Feel free to leave of the feta cheese for a dairy-free version.
  • Mix-ins – Feel free to switch up your mix-ins for this superfood salad… I often do! Sometimes I change up the veggies based on what I have on hand. Feel free to get creative and make this your own!
  • Dressing – I love the lemon vinaigrette dressing I created for this salad but any dressing would work if you’re in a pinch. Some options: creamy balsamic dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, apple cider vinaigrette or white balsamic vinaigrette.

Nutrition

Serving: 1salad without dressing | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 650mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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4.95 from 51 votes (24 ratings without comment)

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56 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This salad is phenomenal. It should be one of the highest rated salmon salads/salmon recipe. I have made this salad as the main dish for company, it is that good. One of my families top favorite salads of al time. It takes a little more time than your regular chop-n-go salad recipe, but it is worth every second. Flavor is more elevated with a really good feta (ie: not from a plastic tub). Thanks, Brittany, for an outstanding salad.

    1. Wow, this means so much! I’m so glad this salad has become such a favorite for your family and special enough to serve to company. I totally agree that good feta makes a big difference here. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave such a thoughtful review!