This Mustard Dill Salmon Salad is a fabulous, restaurant-style salad with balsamic vinaigrette.
Let’s face it, the salmon is the star of the show in this mustard dill salmon salad. The sauce is so delicious. And after baking, more sauce is included on top of the salmon too! The salty addition of capers is wonderful as well.
This recipe was sourced from Karl Strauss, a San Diego-based brewery that is owned by some friends of ours. I’ve always found their food to be fabulous, and this is a salad that they had on their menu many years ago!
Ingredients needed:
- Dijon mustard
- white sugar
- fresh dill, fresh thyme, fresh basil and fresh parsley
- extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- shallot
- red onion
- tomato
- garlic
- salmon
- baby lettuce leaves
- salt and pepper
Ingredient notes:
Use fresh herbs (not dried). It makes a big difference! Any kind of salmon can be used for this recipe. The type of greens you choose is your choice. Sometimes I like to chop up green leaf and red leaf lettuce. And I’ve even used fresh spinach for this salad.
How to make Mustard Dill Salmon Salad:
The complete recipe is at the end of this post.
The first step is preparing the salmon. In a medium bowl, combine the mustard dill sauce ingredients and whisk together well. Season with salt and pepper; refrigerate until ready to use.
Rinse and dry the salmon fillets. Place the fillets in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray, or in a foil-lined pan. Drizzle the salmon with 4 tablespoons of the mustard sauce. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
The next step is preparing the vinaigrette. In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, Dijon, sugar, shallot and garlic; mix well. While mixing, slowly add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and mix in the fresh herbs. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette. Use just enough vinaigrette to coat the lettuce with the dressing.
The final step is assembling the salads. Assemble the salads by placing some of the greens in each of 4 bowls. Place the salmon on top of the lettuce. Drizzle mustard sauce onto each fillet. Sprinkle capers, onion and tomato over the salad, and serve. Enjoy!
Shortcut tip:
Buy and use your favorite balsamic vinaigrette instead of making it homemade. The homemade is better, but store bought is quicker and easier.
The Best Main Dish Salad Recipes:
- Salad Nicoise
- White Bean and Roasted Chicken Salad
- Steak Fajita Salad
- Black Bean Taco Salad
- Asian Turkey Salad
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Mustard-Dill Salmon Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
MUSTARD DILL SAUCE:
- ¾ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
VINAIGRETTE:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon minced shallot
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
SALAD:
- 4 fillets (about 1½ pounds) salmon
- 4 large handfuls baby lettuce leaves
- 4 tablespoons capers
- 4 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 4 tablespoons seeded and finely diced tomato
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
MAKE THE SAUCE and COOK THE SALMON:
- In a medium bowl, combine the mustard dill sauce ingredients and whisk together well. Season with salt and pepper; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Rinse and dry the salmon fillets. Place the fillets in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray, or in a foil-made pan. Drizzle the salmon with 4 tablespoons of the mustard sauce. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE and ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:
- In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, Dijon, sugar, shallot and garlic; mix well. While mixing, slowly add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and mix in the fresh herbs. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette. Use just enough vinaigrette to coat the lettuce with the dressing.
- Assemble the salads by placing some of the greens in each of 4 bowls. Place the salmon on top of the lettuce. Drizzle mustard sauce onto each fillet. Sprinkle capers, onion and tomato over the salad, and serve.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as Gluten-free, just be sure to use a brand of Dijon that is known to be GF.
- WW Points were calculated using about half of the vinaigrette on the salads.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
