This Salmon Caesar Salad is a go-to dinner recipe for me—it’s easy, healthy and totally satisfying. It’s also versatile! Make a homemade dressing, semi-homemade dressing, or pick up your favorite bottle variety. Use whatever greens you like and play around with adding fresh herbs and crunchy veggies.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
Caesar salad is absolutely delicious in its simplicity. We wanted to add salmon without making it fussy, so we kept the salmon prep simple and the salad straightforward. Salmon, greens, croutons, and Caesar dressing, that’s it.
For this salad we broil the salmon, which is one of our favorite methods for cooking salmon. However, if you want to cook the salmon while the croutons are baking, you can pan-sear the salmon on the stove top.
This Caesar Salad with Salmon is light and satisfying, making it the perfect lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
We have two recipes for you to choose from. Our Simple Caesar Dressing is a classic from-scratch Caesar Dressing that will absolutely blow people away.
For a less fussy option, try our Quick & Easy Caesar Dressing that uses mayonnaise as a shortcut. Both recipes feature classic Caesar ingredients like anchovy, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce.
You can also use your favorite store-bought dressing if you prefer. We like Brianna’s Caesar Dressing.
Salmon
Since we’re broiling the salmon here, it’s important to get a thick center-cut piece of fish. The thicker the fillet of salmon, the more likely it won’t over cook. For more in-depth information on broiling salmon, check out this recipe article.
Croutons
We love our homemade croutons here, but feel free to grab some from your local bakery or market as a shortcut. Croutons are classic in Caesar Salad—the loud crunch is addictive.
Greens
We are head over heels for little gem lettuce. It has tiny ripples in the leaves which hold on to the dressing, making every bite absolutely delicious. If you can’t find Little Gem, try a large head of Romaine or hearts of Romaine.
Test Kitchen Tips
- For the best results, seek out a salmon fillet that’s at least 1 inch thick.
- We like to use skin-on salmon for just about everything, but especially when we are pan-searing or broiling. The skin keeps the fish nice and moist. It also usually sticks to an ungreased baking sheet or layer of foil, which makes for easy serving.
Variations
Try some other methods of cooking the salmon for this recipe.
- For a flavorful shortcut, use hot-smoked salmon.
- Try grilled salmon. Skip the glaze and season simply with salt and pepper.
- Use our recipe for blackened fish as a guide and make a blackened salmon caesar salad.
- Use our foolproof recipe for pan-seared salmon—all you need is kosher salt, black pepper and a nonstick skillet.
- Skip fresh salmon and make our very easy Salmon Patties.
- Feel free to add shaved Parmesan to the salad as well.
Salad Recipes to Try
- Our Green Goddess Salad is another one of my favorites. It also pairs well with salmon.
- Our Lemon Arugula Salad is another show-stopper thanks to a crunchy nut topping.
- If you’re looking for another entree-style salad, check out our Tuna Nicoise. It’s perfect for weeknights as well.
- We’ve got our eyes on this Salmon Salad from Primavera Kitchen.
FAQs
Well for starters, you could use gluten-free bread. If you’re looking for an alternative to croutons altogether, go for some slices or chunks of English cucumber or thinly sliced celery.
Use a big head of romaine lettuce and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
For this recipe, since we’re broiling it, look for a thick center-cut piece of farm-raised salmon. We like farm-raised salmon for broiling because the fillet is usually much thicker.
Thicker fillets are easier to cook (or harder to overcook if you want to look at it that way). If you prefer wild-caught you can use that too. Just be sure you watch it very closely as it cooks incredibly quickly.
More Salmon Recipes
- Try our go-to salmon recipe for pan-seared salmon. It’s absolutely foolproof and makes the best salmon!
- Our Salmon Salad is made with fresh broiled salmon, crisp cucumbers and a creamy lemon Greek yogurt dressing. It’s great for lunch of dinner!
- For something sweet, savory and grilled, try our Balsamic Glazed Salmon. Keep it simple and pair it with some grilled asparagus.
- Our Blackened Salmon is the star of our Salmon Tacos—the perfect al fresco meal!
- For a special occasion, make our Lemon Butter Salmon featuring pan-seared salmon, a lemony butter sauce, and buttery peas.
Simple Salmon Caesar Salad
Description
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
- 1 recipe homemade Caesar dressing, or semi-homemade Caesar dressing, or purchased caesar dressing
Croutons
- ½ pound (8 ounces) whole-grain bakery bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
Salmon
- 1 (1-pound, 1-inch-thick) skin-on center-cut salmon fillet
Salad
- 2 (5-ounce) containers Little Gem Lettuce, leaves separated (about 8 cups)
Instructions
Caesar Dressing
- Prepare Caesar Dressing or Semi-Homemade Caesar Dressing according to recipe instructions. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Croutons
- Heat oven 350ºF (177ºC). Toss bread and oil to coat on a large baking sheet; season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Spread bread cubes into an even layer.
- Toast croutons until deeply golden brown, crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside, 15–20 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Let cool completely.
Broiled Salmon
- Heat broiler to high with rack set 6-inches from element.
- Arrange salmon fillets skin-side down on prepared sheet; pat dry and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Broil salmon until mostly opaque but center still looks undercooked, tops are charred, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 120–125ºF (48–52ºC); 10–12 minutes.
Salad
- In a large bowl, toss salad with a heavy drizzle of Caesar dressing; season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Flake salmon into large chunks then arrange over salad; discard skin. Sprinkle croutons over top and serve immediately with more dressing on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
