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This Greek salmon salad features flaky pan-seared (or grilled!) salmon, spinach, kalamata olives, green olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and tangy feta. It’s dressed with homemade zesty lemon balsamic dressing. Made in under 30 minutes, it’s a quick and easy lunch, snack, or a light summer dinner.
Greek salmon salad
This easy Greek salmon salad highlights traditional Mediterranean flavors, spices, and ingredients. It’s healthy, keto, low-carb, gluten-free, and packed with protein and veggies. Pan-seared salmon is paired with spinach, kalamata olives, Castelvetrano olives (though any green olives will do), cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and tangy feta. The Greek dressing combines extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and dried oregano. With its beautiful presentation and healthy ingredients, it might quickly become one of your new family favorites! Serve it as is or with a simple pasta dish, such as Greek orzo or creamy garlic parmesan orzo, or with the reader’s favorite spinach and mushroom ravioli. Enjoy this Greek-inspired summer salad year-round!
Tips for pan-searing salmon
- Use a large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet or a high-quality stainless steel pan. This will help prevent burn spots and ensure even cooking without the salmon sticking to the pan. Make sure the pan is at least 12 inches in diameter.
- Heat the empty skillet for 4 minutes over medium heat (without olive oil). This ensures the pan is hot enough to give the salmon a nice sear once you add the olive oil and salmon.
- Coat the salmon with olive oil and seasoning before placing it in the hot skillet. This should help prevent the salmon from sticking to the bottom.
Perfect for pan-seared or grilled salmon
This recipe is ideal for both pan-seared and grilled salmon. Pan-searing instructions are included in the recipe card below. Alternatively, you can grill the salmon using the same seasoning rub and your preferred grilling method!
Variations
- Veggies. You can use arugula or butter lettuce instead of spinach. Add sliced raw or roasted bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, or cooked asparagus.
- Cheese. Use feta cheese, halloumi, mizithra, or any other Greek cheese you love.
- Olives. I used a mixture of calamata and green olives. Castelvetrano olives are my top choice for green olives due to their unique and delicious flavor. However, you can substitute them with any other green olives or even black olives—they all work well in the salad.
- Seafood. You can substitute salmon with other types of fish such as cod, red snapper, or halibut. Alternatively, shrimp or scallops can also be used as delicious alternatives.
- Use either lime juice or lemon juice. The most important thing is that it’s freshly squeezed.
- I made a homemade balsamic vinaigrette for this salad, but you can use your favorite store-bought Greek or Italian dressing, or store-bought balsamic vinaigrette instead.
How to serve Greek salmon salad
More Mediterranean salmon recipes
Other Greek-inspired salads
Greek Salmon Salad
This Greek salmon salad features flaky pan-seared (or grilled!) salmon, spinach, kalamata olives, green olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and tangy feta. It’s dressed with homemade zesty lemon balsamic dressing. Made in under 30 minutes, it’s a quick and easy lunch, snack, or a light summer dinner.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 8 oz cherry or grape tomatoes (red and yellow) sliced in half
- 1 large cucumber quartered
- ½ cup pitted black olives sliced
- ½ cup pitted green olives sliced (I used Castelvetrano olives)
- ⅓ cup red onion sliced
- 5 oz baby spinach
Instructions
Make salad dressing and combine with veggies
- Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a small mason jar. Whisk with a fork until emulsified.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine and toss together sliced cherry tomatoes, quartered cucumber slices, olives, sliced red onions, and the salad dressing. Set aside.
Prepare feta cheese mixture
- In a small bowl, toss together cubed feta cheese with extra virgin olive oil, dried oregano, and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
Pan-sear the salmon
- Preheat a large, high-sided skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat on the stovetop for approximately 4 minutes until it is hot. I used 4 skin-on salmon fillets. Season the flesh side of the salmon with paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper, rubbing the spices onto the fish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the heated skillet—the oil should sizzle. Place the salmon fillets into the skillet, skin side up. Gently move them around with a spatula to coat the bottoms with olive oil and prevent sticking. Cook undisturbed over medium heat for 4 minutes.
- Turn the salmon over so the skin side is now facing down. Continue cooking over medium or low-medium heat for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- If you prefer to keep the salmon skin intact, you can skip this step: To remove the skin, gently slide a wide spatula between each salmon fillet and the skin to separate the flesh. Transfer the skinless salmon to a plate. Remove skins from the skillet. You can eat them later or discard them if you don’t like them.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Greek Salmon Salad
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
