Salmon Caesar Salad
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Take your salad game up a notch with this easy Salmon Caesar Salad recipe! It’s made with romaine, then topped with tomatoes, pan-seared salmon and a healthy homemade caesar dressing. You’ll never go back to boring caesar salads again!
You really can’t go wrong with a caesar salad, and trust me when I say it’s 10x better when topped with salmon! This salmon caesar salad is my favorite, mostly because it’s drizzled with my healthy caesar dressing recipe.
See, caesar salad on its own is good, but it isn’t very filling. Adding some type of protein definitely takes it up a notch, not only in flavor but in protein, too. A win-win if you ask me!
You could also top this salad with my Whole30 garlic salmon or even my quinoa-crusted salmon — both would be delicious options!
Recipe features
- Ready in under 20 minutes
- Topped with everything delicious in life: salmon, croutons (i.e. bread), tomatoes, and shaved parmesan
- A good-for-you salad recipe that will keep you full, and one that you can easily prep ahead of time for the week
Salmon caesar salad ingredients
- Romaine: Can buy pre-chopped romaine to save yourself time, though you’ll get more bang for your buck if you buy a bag of whole romaine lettuce and chop it yourself; if you’re looking for a substitution, try butter lettuce.
- Salmon: Fresh or frozen; just make sure it’s completely thawed before cooking it.
- Tomatoes: Can omit if you don’t love them, or sub something different like radishes, sweet potatoes or even chickpeas.
- Parmesan: I like buying shaved parmesan, but sometimes it’s tricky to find; can use grated or shredded instead.
- Caesar dressing: Can you sub store-bought dressing? I mean technically yes, but why would you want to? This dressing is so much better for you than store-bought because it’s made with Greek yogurt and olive/avocado oil — it’s truly my favorite!
Method
First: Make the croutons. Yes, you can use store-bought croutons (no judgment), but making your own is SO easy. Simply cut a few slices of bread into cubes, then place them on a baking sheet, drizzle a little oil overtop and bake them for 15-20 minutes.
Second: Cook the salmon. Next, season the salmon with salt, then pan-sear it for 3 minutes on the first side, then 4-5 minutes on the second side.
Third: Assemble the salad. While the salmon is cooking, prep the salad. Add romaine, tomatoes and parmesan to a large bowl, then drizzle the caesar dressing overtop and toss to combine.
Distribute the salad into two bowls, then add the salmon overtop, and drizzle a little more caesar dressing on top.
Tips and tricks
-Want to add more healthy fats? Add an avocado to the salad!
-The croutons will harden as they cool; when you take them out of the oven, they might still be slightly soft, and that’s ok.
-If you want to give this salad even more “oomph”, try adding radishes, chickpeas (plain or roasted chickpeas) or roasted sweet potatoes.
What kind of salmon should I use?
Use ANY kind. I go back and forth between buying sockeye and Atlantic salmon, and I generally buy frozen because it’s more affordable.
How does this recipe differ from classic caesar salad?
Food Network has a pretty good classic caesar salad recipe. You can see that their salad doesn’t include any protein (most caesar salads do not), and it includes ingredients like egg and Worcestershire sauce.
This caesar salad still tastes just as good — much better, in my opinion — and will keep you full because it’s topped with salmon!
How long will this salad stay fresh?
If you prep the salad as-is, it will stay good if stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. However, you can definitely prep everything EXCEPT the salmon, and that’ll stay good for closer to 5 days.
Then, before you want to eat, you can cook the salmon really quickly.
More salad recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Salmon Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets, thawed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup croutons, store-bought or homemade
- 7 oz. romaine, chopped
- 1/3 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
- 1 avocado, optional
- homemade caesar dressing
Instructions
for homemade croutons:
- Preheat oven to 375°, then cut 3 slices of bread (I used sourdough) into cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with a little olive oil (no more than 1 tbsp total) and bake them for 15-20 minutes.
for the salad:
- Heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, nonstick skillet. Season the salmon with salt, then place it skin side up in the skillet and pan-sear for 3 minutes. Then, slip the salmon over so it's skin side down, place a lid on the skillet and continue cooking the salmon for 4-5 more minutes.
- While the salmon is cooking, prep the salad. If you haven't already, make the caesar dressing. Then, add the romaine, tomatoes and parmesan to a large bowl. Drizzle a little caesar dressing on top and use kitchen tongs to toss everything together.
- Distribute the salad into two bowls, then top it with the croutons, cooked salmon and avocado if using. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in January 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in February 2021.
Love that this uses simple pantry ingredients.
This salad combines two of my faves in one! Love the addition of soft-boiled egg and salmon instead of the usual chicken. This is what a gourmet salad looks like!
Thanks so much Bethany!