This Easy Chilled Poached Salmon Salad is bright, crunchy, and satisfying. With simple, fresh ingredients—poached salmon, crisp celery, tangy capers, lemon, and herbs—this six-ingredient salad is versatile enough for lunch, dinner, or meal prep. I like to serve it over baby greens with a crisp Wasa cracker or homemade gluten-free Parmesan herb crackers for a light, healthy meal.
Table of contents
- Why you will love this Salmon Salad recipe
- How to poach salmon filets
- Ingredients for Easy Chilled Poached Salmon Salad
- How to make salmon salad
- How to serve
- How to store leftovers
- Questions and substitutions
Why you will love this Salmon Salad recipe
A dependable salmon salad is a great go-to. This version has been a family favorite for years. The combination of crisp celery and onion, bright lemon, briny capers, and fresh parsley and dill creates a light, herb-forward flavor with pleasant texture contrasts. The dish is easy to scale and adaptable—add more capers if you like a stronger briny note, or swap herbs to suit your palate.
Another advantage is speed: salmon cooks quickly. Once the fillets are poached and cooled and the vegetables are chopped, the salad comes together in minutes. Chill it briefly to meld the flavors, then serve with a crisp white wine and crackers for a simple, elegant meal.
How to poach salmon filets
Use skinless, boneless fillets for easiest poaching. You will need about 10 ounces of salmon, typically two small fillets. Season both sides lightly with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and dried dill.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of butter and add roughly 1/3 cup of white wine. Gently place the seasoned fillets in the skillet, cover, and let them cook in the wine-butter bath. The salmon is done when it turns opaque pink throughout; depending on thickness, this usually takes about five minutes or less. Thicker fillets can be turned once for even cooking.
Remove the fillets from the pan and let them cool completely. Discard the leftover wine and butter. Once cool, gently flake the salmon into large pieces with two forks and check for any small bones before mixing into the salad.
Ingredients for Easy Chilled Poached Salmon Salad
The salad uses a short list of fresh ingredients. Quantities can be adjusted to taste.
- 10 ounces poached salmon, flaked
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup parsley (curly or flat), finely chopped
- Fresh dill, chopped (to taste)
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
How to make salmon salad
After the salmon is cooled and flaked, combine it in a medium bowl with capers, celery, red onion, parsley, and dill. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
How to serve
Cover and chill the salad in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to let the flavors meld. Give it a gentle toss before serving. Serve over salad greens with crackers and lemon wedges on the side.
This salad is delicious simply dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, but you can substitute a light vinaigrette, lemon-Dijon dressing, or champagne vinegar with olive oil for a different flavor profile.
How to store leftovers
Store leftovers in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Glass helps prevent lingering odors, and the salad keeps well chilled.
Questions and substitutions
Serve it with a simple chilled cucumber salad or add avocado to the salmon for extra creaminess.
Diced cucumber and seeded, diced tomatoes are great additions.
Cilantro or extra fresh dill both pair nicely.
Yes—drain and check for bones, then proceed with the recipe as written.
If you enjoy easy salads, try other flavorful options like Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad or a Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Feta for compact, satisfying meals.
If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a comment to help other readers.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Easy Chilled Poached Salmon Salad
Ana Coronado
April 3, 2020
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
skillet
-
bowl
Ingredients
For Poached Salmon
- 10 oz salmon skinless
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt
- pepper
- dill dried
For Salad
- 3 tbsp capers drained
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/3 cup onion, red finely chopped
- 1/3 cup parsley curly or flat, finely chopped
- Freshly Dill, chopped (to taste)
- 1 lemon juice of
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
For serving
- salad greens
- crackers of choice
- lemon wedges
Instructions
To poach salmon
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Melt butter and add wine to a shallow pan.
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Sprinkle salt, pepper and dill on both sides of the salmon fillets.
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Add salmon to the pan and cook until opaque and cooked through.
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Allow to cool, then flake gently and check for bones.
For Salad
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Combine flaked salmon, capers, celery, onion, dill and parsley in a medium bowl.
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Add lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and toss gently.
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Chill for 30 minutes to an hour, then toss before serving.
For serving
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Serve with salad greens, crackers, and lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
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