Buttery, flaky salmon atop a simply dressed maple dijon salad! This quick and easy recipe yields perfectly seasoned, and cooked salmon every time. A complete meal, loaded with fresh veggies, then finished off with a tangy maple dijon dressing, ready in under 20 minutes!
What You’ll Need To Make This Maple Dijon Salmon Salad
Dijon Mustard – We do NOT use this ingredient sparingly in our maple dijon dressing! An entire 1/4 cup gives this entire meal tons of tangy, delicious flavor. In case you’re not familiar with this French ingredient, dijon mustard is creamier, spicier, and has less vinegar than yellow mustard. It’s a favorite in my home, for everything from sandwiches to salad dressings. It’s among one of the healthiest condiments you can use, with no added-sugar or preservatives!
Maple Syrup – A touch of maple syrup is necessary to balance out the intensely savory flavors in this salmon salad recipe. And if you don’t have any maple syrup on-hand, you can use an equal amount of honey instead.
Salmon Fillets – Feel free to use any variety of salmon fillets you’d like! Sockeye salmon and atlantic salmon are the two most common types, and are only slightly different from each other. Sockeye salmon is a bit more lean, and has a stronger fish flavor, while atlantic salmon is fattier, with a more mild flavor. I personally love atlantic salmon for it’s ultra-soft, buttery, and flaky qualities. Though again, you can use any type of salmon fillets you’d like for this lunch or dinner recipe!
Green Apple – I know, not all of us are fans of fruit in our salads. However, green apple is much more tart than sweet in this salmon salad. Also, remember we have a bit of sweetness in our dressing – so the little bit of natural sweetness from a thinly sliced green apple works to compliment that. If you don’t have any green apples, you can easily leave them out or use a red apple in its place.
Pecans or Walnuts – I have just one rule when it comes to salads, they all must include a crunchy component. A little bit of crunch goes a long way in rounding out the textures in this dish. Roughly chopped pecans and/or walnuts are a healthy alternative to standard croutons. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plenty of healthy fats!
Tips and Tricks
- Feel free to add or remove any salad ingredients you’d like! Not a fan of nuts? Simple leave them out. Prefer a certain type of lettuce? Then definitely use it! This super simple salad recipe is incredibly easy to customize.
- For anyone who cooks meat or fish regularly, I highly recommend investing in a kitchen thermometer. This is the thermometer I use on pretty much a daily basis. It’s the easiest way to ensure perfectly cooked salmon every time!
- This salmon salad can be enjoyed hot or cold! Salmon’s one of those things that tastes delicious at just about any temperature. I often double this recipe for easy grab-and-go lunches all week long – no need to reheat!
Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs
Make it Sugar-Free: For an entirely sugar-free recipe, use Lankanto Maple Flavored Syrup in place of the maple syrup.
Make it Nut-Free: Simply replace the nuts with sunflower seeds to make this a nut-free lunch or dinner recipe.
Maple Dijon Salmon Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- juice from 1 lemon, see Notes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the salmon:
- 4 salmon fillets, boneless
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 4 cups lettuce, see Notes
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet and pat dry with a paper towel. Season filets with salt and black pepper, then drizzle half the maple Dijon dressing evenly over top of the salmon.
- Bake salmon for 10-12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into thickest end of the salmon read 125° Fahrenheit.
- While salmon cooks, place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Once salmon is done, divide salad between four plates, top each plate with a salmon filet and serve with remaining dressing.
