Restaurant-Style Grilled Maple Salmon Salad

This Grilled Salmon Salad recipe is inspired by one of my favourite salads at a local restaurant. It’s made with marinated maple grilled salmon, crunchy spring mix and red onions, roasted almonds, dried cranberries, and creamy goat cheese all dressed in a simple yet delicious Maple Balsamic Dressing. This salad with salmon is packed with protein and important nutrients like omega-3s and iron. It makes a tasty and satisfying lunch or healthy dinner meal!

About This Grilled Salmon Salad Recipe:

There’s this local Irish Pub in my town that I’ve been going to for years. And it has the BEST salad with salmon that I’ve ever had. It’s called the Grilled Maple Salmon Salad.

After eating it so many times, I decided to try and recreate it at home. It’s a pretty simple salad, but all of the ingredients together plus an easy maple balsamic dressing make it totally delicious.

Not only is this grilled salmon salad delicious, it’s also really nutritious! This combination makes my dietitian heart sing. And I’m so excited that I get to share it with you!

Salmon Salad Ingredients:

Here’s what you’ll need to make this salad at home:

• 4-ounce salmon filets
• Spring mix greens (or another blend of mixed greens!)
• Red onion
• Roasted almonds (I like to use tamari roasted almonds)
• Dried cranberries
• Goat cheese

Salad Dressing for This Grilled Salmon Salad:

The salad dressing salmon salad we’re using is my Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing recipe. It’s a super quick, easy, and versatile recipe.

I use it on a ton of my nourishing salad recipes, but I do feel like it’s the best dressing for salmon salad, too.

To make it, you’ll need:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Maple syrup
• Dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper

Maple Salmon Salad Nutrition Benefits:

As a Registered Dietitian, I’m a big fan of salmon and all of the nutrition it has to offer!

Salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and it’s even one of the few food sources of vitamin D.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that help reduce inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease, and support brain function. Vitamin D plays a role in bone health, immune function, and mood regulation.

In addition to the salmon, we’re also getting important nutrients like fibre and vitamin K from the spring mix, magnesium and vitamin E from the almonds, and calcium from the goat cheese.

Because this salad contains vegetables, quality protein, healthy fats, and even some carbs, it has everything we need to create a healthy and filling salad!

How to Grill Salmon:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic powder, and salt. Place the salmon filets in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, or if you’re using an indoor counter-top grill, preheat it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. If you’re using an outdoor grill, lightly oil the grates to prevent the salmon from sticking. Remove salmon from the marinade and place it on the grill, skin-side down, and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145°F.
4. If you’re using an indoor counter-top grill, simply place the salmon on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145°F.
5. Once the salmon is cooked through, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Other Salmon Cooking Methods:

Baked Salmon Salad:

I have also made this grilled salmon salad as a baked salmon salad.

If you prefer to bake the salmon instead of grilling it, simply bake the marinated salmon filets in a greased baking dish in the oven at 375F for 10-14 minutes, until the salmon easily flakes with a fork.

Seared Salmon Salad:

You can also pan-sear your salmon filets using a large, well-oiled pan on the stovetop. To do this, heat oil in a pan to medium-high heat and add the salmon filets to the pan, skin-side up.

Cook for about 3-4 minutes on the first side, or until it easily releases from the pan and is golden brown on the bottom. Use a spatula to gently flip the salmon over, skin-side down.

Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on the second side, or until desired doneness.

Storing Leftovers:

If you have leftovers of this salad, I recommend storing the salad and dressing separately (if possible). This will help to prevent the spring mix and other salad ingredients from getting soggy.

Store the Maple Balsamic Dressing in one airtight container or jar, and the salad separately in another covered container. Like this, leftovers will keep well in the fridge up to 4 days.

Other Salads to Serve with Salmon:

Here are some other delicious and nutritious recipes for salad to serve with salmon:

• Kale Quinoa & Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
• Easy Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad
• Homemade Healthy Caesar Salad (substitute the shrimp with salmon)
• Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad (substitute the chicken with salmon)

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you try the recipe let me know what you think by leaving a rating and a comment below. Oh, and be sure to take a photo and tag me on @hannahmagee_rd so I can see!

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