My daughter is 10 years old today, and it’s giving me all the feels. First, I don’t know how we have a 10-year-old in our house. It really seems like yesterday that she was a funny little toddler. And now she’s becoming her own smart, beautiful, caring and creative little person. I love seeing her gain confidence and independence, but I’m also so thankful she’s still got some little kid innocence and that she still loves my hugs and kisses and going for walks together to chat. I’m not ready for her to be too grown up just yet. So happy birthday, baby girl. I hope all your dreams come true. ❤️ OK, let’s talk food. If you’ve followed me for long, you know I’m a total veggie addict. And that means I love me some salads. But no wimpy salads, please. No, no, I like mine loaded and fun. Like this healthy taco salad or colorful Mediterranean chickpea salad. And these BBQ chicken quinoa salad bowls and chicken quinoa salad with salsa hummus are super satisfying and filling. Today, though, I’m sharing a salad made with my easy BBQ salmon because I make it so often and we love it so much.
Salmon is my favorite fish and I try to use it at least a few times a month. But I’m also notorious for not having a plan when it comes to cooking salmon, so I fall back on some of my favorites super simple ways to fix it. And since BBQ sauce is one of my daughter’s favorite things, I slather it on there, broil or grill it, and voila! Yummy salmon. Often, we have leftovers and this BBQ salmon salad is always what I make with it for lunch the next day. It’s fairly simple - just some greens, cucumber, tomato, red onion and avocado - but all those different flavors and textures go so well together. So I just had to create a full recipe from it so I could share it with you! This salad is bright and healthy and definitely enough to keep you full. So let’s get cooking!
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make this BBQ salmon salad. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on making BBQ salmon salad:
I usually broil my salmon, but you could also grill it if you’d like. You can prep the salmon ahead of time and let it cool and serve it chilled or at room temperature, instead of warm, if you prefer. Mixed greens are my go-to for this salad, but you could substitute another type of salad mix, such as baby spinach. I love red onion raw, but some people aren’t a fan. You can skip it or see below on how to soak it if yours is pungent and you want to take out some of the bite. Use your favorite dressing here. Sometimes we do Ranch and sometimes I make my easy creamy cilantro lime dressing. A green goddess dressing would be good here, too.
Oh, and I should say that if you want to add some cooked grains - like quinoa or farro - to this salad, you certainly could. Or you could add some croutons or serve it with some crusty bread if you’re looking to add some carbs to bulk it up. OK, about that red onion… You can soak it in cold water to take some of the bite out, if you have a particularly pungent onion. Just chop the amount you need - ½ cup sliced for this recipe - and put it in a small bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes. Then drain the water, pat the onion dry and it’s ready to use.
Also, while I am partial to the BBQ brushed salmon used here - and described in the recipe card below - you could definitely substitute any leftover salmon you might have on hand to use it up. I hope you give this a try, whether for lunch or a light dinner. Enjoy! XO, Kathryn P.S. Stay tuned because I have another yummy salad recipe coming up later this week that I think you’ll love. (Update: Check out this buffalo chicken salad - so flavorful!) You can sign up for my free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!
Salmon: I usually broil my salmon, but you could also grill it if you’d like. You can prep the salmon ahead of time or let it cool and serve it chilled or at room temperature, instead of warm, if you prefer. Greens: Mixed greens are my go-to for this salad, but you could substitute another type of salad mix, such as baby spinach. Red onion: I love red onion raw, but some people aren’t a fan. You can skip it or take out some of the bite by soaking the chopped onion in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes. Drain, pat dry and it’s ready to use.. Salad dressing: Use your favorite dressing here. Sometimes we do Ranch and sometimes I make my easy creamy cilantro lime dressing. A green goddess dressing would be good here, too.
