Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Cilantro Lime Dressing

This Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Cilantro Lime Dressing is a fast, fresh, light and nutritious dinner meal! It truly combined good things to give you a dish that is packed with flavor and color. Save it now so you can make it!

I really love light and fresh meals that look like they took a long time to make and taste like they took a long time to make, but are truly simple. This Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Cilantro Lime Dressing and a spoof on a Gremolata is exactly one of those meals. It’s packed with protein, fresh vegetables and includes a homemade dressing made with Greek yogurt! 

I love making this Grilled Salmon Salad all throughout the summer when I have fresh herbs and vegetables on hand. But it’s fairly easy to make it throughout the year too when you’re craving an easy, fresh meal. It’s also low carb and a delicious dish for anyone looking to cut their carbs while enjoying a dinner packed with nutritious ingredients. 

Cooking the salmon

We cooked our salmon for this Grilled Salmon Salad on the grill. However, you can also sear it in a cast iron on non-stick pan OR get the grill effect by using a Cast Iron Griddle/Grill. We have this one {HERE} and I love it because it’s double sided and makes the nice grill marks even in the middle of winter. 

No matter which way you choose to make the salmon, it cooks up really quickly. In fact, if I want to make sure it is hot, it will be the last thing I cook. I will prep the dressing, salad itself and Gremolata first and then make the salmon. You only need to cook it for 4 minutes per side (8 minutes total) to get it perfectly cooked. 

In the dressing

The Basil Cilantro Lime Dressing for the Grilled Salmon Salad is a simple dressing to make. It’s made with creamy, full fat Greek yogurt, fresh herbs and fresh squeezed lime juice. I love this flavor combination because it tastes so light and fresh. The use of the Greek yogurt and extra virgin olive oil makes it incredibly smooth and creamy too. 

This dressing can also be made a day or two in advance of the salad so you can meal prep and make things easier on yourself. No matter what, I like to make this first by combining everything in a small food processor. That’s really all there is to it. Then I put it in the refrigerator until I need it. Due to the extra virgin olive oil in it, you want to take it out about 10 minutes before you intend to use it to give the olive oil time to come back to room temperature. 

This Basil Cilantro Lime Dressing will work for more than this salad too. It would be wonderful on a chicken, steak or even simple veggie salad.

The Gremolata 

A traditional Gremolata is an Italian condiment “sauce” that is made from simply parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Sometimes people will mix in garlic, extra virgin olive oil or other ingredients too to create variations. My “gremolata” is really kind of a spoof on this condiment. It uses parsley but subs lemon for lime. I also like to add in a little basil, garlic and onion too. Then I season with salt and pepper. It really makes a lovely topping for your salmon and could be used whether you’re making a Grilled Salmon Salad or not. It would taste wonderful just as a regular grilled salmon topping and I think it would also taste fantastic on chicken or steak. 

Make this second and set it aside until you need it. Again, this is something you can make in advance and then refrigerate. Just remember to take it out when you take the dressing out. 

The Grilled Salmon Salad ingredients

To make the salad itself, I start by flavoring my salmon really well. All meat should be well seasoned before cooking it and seafood is no exception. I start by rubbing 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into both sides of the salmon. Then to season it I use a mix of garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika and lime zest with a little fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. 

For the salad itself I use a mix of Bibb or Butter Lettuce and arugula. I prefer these over other lettuces. Romaine would work if you prefer that but then I would still add in the arugula for flavor. It provides a little bit of a pepper green to the dish.

When it comes to the vegetables, you can use whatever you love most. I add in some sliced cherry tomatoes, grill up some carrots and red onions with my salmon. You can also add them raw, but then dice the onions so they aren’t as overpowering in each bite. 

Tips for making the Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Cilantro Lime Dressing

• Make sure to you use the freshest salmon you can find. If you can’t find fresh salmon where you live look for or order flash frozen salmon. We always like this choice because it’s difficult for us to always find it (or other fishes) living in the middle of the country without going to the fish market. (My fish market doesn’t open until 11 a.m. and I can’t always wait for them.)
• Don’t overcook the salmon. While most restaurants would recommend always cooking salmon to medium rare, I prefer mine fully cooked so it flakes off nicely. If the salmon filet is over an inch thick, you can give it another 30 seconds to 1 minute per side to ensure it is cooked. 
• If you want to make the salmon in a non-stick pan, add 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil to the pan before adding in the salmon. I have cooked mine in my Caraway pans before {HERE} and also my Cast Iron Pan {HERE}, which I tend to prefer for cooking it. 
• As always, make sure to use extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. 
• Use fresh herbs in the dressing and Gremolata. Dried herbs definitely won’t work for the Gremolata and really will not flavor your dressing as nicely as the fresh herbs.
• This is a dinner salad so the salad is meant to fill a plate. If you don’t need as many servings you can halve the salad ingredients but don’t halve the dressing and Gremolata ingredients. 

Storing and Making ahead

This meal can be eaten hot or cold. You can save the salmon for up to two days as long as it is stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This makes it great for making ahead and using leftovers (if you have any) for lunch the next day.

You can make the dressing and the Gremolata ahead of time as long as they are stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just take them out 10 minutes before you intend to use them. The Gremolata will last about 2 days before it might get soggy. The dressing will last 1 week in the refrigerator.

Looking for more salmon or seafood?

If you’re looking for more salmon, seafood or lighter meal options, try these!

• Goat Cheese and Herb Salmon {HERE}
• Smoked Salmon Carpaccio {HERE}
• Easy Shrimp Salad with Old Bay {HERE}
• Chimichurri Shrimp Skewers {HERE}
• Mediterranean Baked Cod {HERE}
• Butter Garlic Shrimp Scampi {HERE}

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love my recipe for Grilled Salmon Salad. You can find a full, printable recipe below with all the ingredients and steps. You can also find me on instagram @sugarmaplefarmhouse and @sugarmaplekitchen. Our YouTube channel is @sugarmaplefarmhouse. Happy eating! 

Grilled Salmon Salad

This Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Cilantro Lime Dressing is a fast, fresh, light and nutritious dinner meal! It truly combined good things to give you a dish that is packed with flavor and color. Save it now so you can make it!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: basil cilantro lime dressing, grilled salmon salad, salmon recipes, salmon salad, summer salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 4 large plates

Author: Rachel

Ingredients

Ingredients for the gremolata

• 1 cup curly parsley
• 1/2 cup basil
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
• Zest from 1 lime
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

Ingredients for the dressing

• 1 cup packed cilantro
• 1/2 cup basil
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
• Juice from half a lime About 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp.
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for the salmon

• 4 salmon filets
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Zest of 2 limes
• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• Salt and pepper as desired

Ingredients for the salad

• 4 sliced carrots
• 1 red onion Sliced if you are grilling it. Diced if you are not grilling it.
• 5 cups bibb or butter lettuce
• 2 cup arugula
• Additional fresh basil for topping

Instructions

Ingredients for the dressing

• Blend all the ingredients in a food processor and then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until needed. Remove 10 minutes prior to using.

Ingredients for the Gremolata

• Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until it is needed. If using right away there's no need to store it.

Ingredients for the salad

• Preheat the grill or your pan to a medium heat.
• Combine the spices in a bowl. Rub both sides of the salmon with the olive oil and then add the spice mix on both sides. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
• Place salmon, carrots and onions on the grill or in the pan and grill for 4 minutes per side. If the salmon filets are thick you can grill them for another minute per side to ensure they're cooked all the way through. If you don't want to grill the carrots and onions just chop and dice them while the salmon cooks.
• Divid the lettuce and vegetables among 4 plates. Build the plate with the bibbb/butter lettuce and arugula as a base. Layer in the vegetables and lay the salmon over the top.
• Serve immediately with the dressing and the Gremolata over the salmon. You can squeeze a little more lime over the salmon and then season per taste with additional salt and pepper. Add additional fresh basil as desired.