Smoked salmon salad is a super delicious upgrade on tuna salad, made with succulent smoked salmon, fresh dill, a little mayo, red onion, and, of course, a squeeze of lemon!
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smoked salmon salad all day long!
It can be the centerpiece of a summer salad platter, piled on a bagel, or sandwiched between two slices of rye bread. It’s also great on crackers as an appetizer, but I found myself nibbling on it all day, straight from the bowl. (It makes your everyday tuna salad look pretty sad.) The salmon itself is so richly flavored it only needs a little mayo, lemon, and dill to really pop.
what you’ll need to make smoked salmon salad
- hot smoked salmon ~ this comes in a chunk, not to be confused with cold smoked salmon, or lox. You’ll usually find it vacuum packed in the seafood or deli section of your supermarket.
- red onion
- fresh dill
- mayonnaise
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
let’s make it! (it’s as easy as 1-2-3)
- Remove the skin and shred your smoked salmon with two forks.
- Mix with mayonnaise, red onion, lemon juice, fresh dill, and black pepper.
- Chill.
smoked salmon faqs
Smoking is a process which adds flavor to salmon, and also preserves it. Smoking removes the moisture from fish so it can stay fresh longer. Smoked fish is common in Russian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Israeli, and Scandinavian cuisines, as well as Eastern and Central European cuisines.
Hot smoked salmon is smoked at about 145F. It’s sold in chunks and has a flaked texture similar to cooked salmon. Cold smoked salmon (aka lox) is smoked at a low heat (about 80F) so it is effectively raw. It is sold in very thin slices and is very silky in texture.
Cold smoked salmon, or lox, is not cooked, it is raw, so it should be consumed with caution if you are pregnant, elderly, or have a compromised immune system. Hot smoked salmon is smoked at a high enough heat to kill harmful bacteria and is generally considered safe to eat without further cooking. Hot smoked salmon should be heated to an internal temperature of 145-150Â F or higher and maintained at 150F for 30 min or longer to be safe. (source)
Salmon is one of the top superfoods on the planet, and smoked salmon provides all those wonderful nutritional benefits. The only drawback is that smoked salmon is relatively high in sodium, so it should be enjoyed on an occasional basis.
If you like canned smoked salmon you can certainly use it, but I prefer the flavor and texture of fresh.
You can make this salad with just about any type of smoked fish you happen to like, some of my favorites are whitefish, tuna, and trout. High fat fish species are ideal for smoking.
Yes, but you have to know what you’re doing…check it out.
You can substitute greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or sour cream. If you can’t do dairy, try olive oil.
other ingredients you might use in smoked salmon salad
As written this is a very simple salad, meant to focus attention on the amazing smoked fish flavor. But if you feel the urge to add more to it, here are some suggestions…
- cucumber or celery, very finely diced
- dill pickle, very finely diced
- capers
- pimiento
- green onion
- chopped hard cooked egg
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Smoked Salmon Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb hot smoked salmon
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I love Duke's)
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
- fresh lemon juice to taste
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove any skin from your smoked salmon and gently flake the flesh it into small pieces with two forks. There shouldn't be any small pin bones in your fish, but pick them out if you see any.
- Blend the salmon with the mayo, onions, dill, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Mix well and then cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Once chilled, taste the salad again to adjust any of the ingredients. You might want a little more lemon juice, or more pepper. Note: the fish is salty, so you will not need to add any extra.
- Serve a scoop of the salad on greens, or make sandwiches with it, we love it on thin toasted rye bread with a thin slice of red onion and leafy greens.
Nutrition
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