Fresh, colorful, and bursting with summer flavor, this Salmon Salad combines grilled salmon, sweet corn, ripe tomatoes, peppery arugula, and a vibrant basil vinaigrette.
Omg this grilled salmon was soooo good! 🔥 The flavor was on point, it was seasoned perfectly, juicy, and not dry at all. You can tell it's made with clean ingredients and it actually tastes good without needing a bunch of extra stuff. Definitely a 10/10 for me! I would absolutely make this again.
This Salmon Salad is one of my favorite summer dinners. Perfectly seasoned salmon and sweet summer corn are grilled until tender and flaky, then layered over peppery arugula with juicy tomatoes, red onion, and a bright basil vinaigrette that ties everything together. It’s fresh, colorful, satisfying, and exactly what I crave during the hot summer months.
When salmon is in season, so is corn, tomatoes, and basil. It’s like they all belong together! The fresh basil dressing is so delicious on the grilled salmon, and the combination of flavors truly can’t be beat. I can’t wait for you to try this summery meal!
Why you’ll love this Salmon Salad recipe!
Fresh summer flavor! Sweet grilled corn, ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil, and smoky salmon highlight the best of summer produce in one meal.
Healthy and satisfying. This salad is packed with protein, healthy fats, and fresh veggies. It’s a nourishing, healthy dinner.
Perfect for entertaining. Make the dressing ahead. You can also grill the salmon and corn a little ahead, then assemble everything on a large platter just before serving for effortless entertaining. It makes for a beautiful summer platter.
Salmon Salad Ingredients
Salmon
- Salmon: Use fresh salmon filets (skin on or skin off). See our Grilled Salmon Recipe for tips on how to buy salmon, as well as what variety to buy.
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper create a simple yet aromatic and smoky dry rub.
- Lemon zest: Adds brightness and fresh citrus. You could also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving if desired.
- Sugar (optional): A pinch encourages caramelization and balances the smoky spices.
Basil Vinaigrette
- Fresh basil leaves: For bright, herbaceous flavor. Use fresh, vibrant basil for the best flavor and color.
- Olive oil and white wine vinegar: Create a light, balanced taste that’s both rich and tangy.
- Garlic cloves and shallots: Add savory depth and aromatic flavor without overpowering the fresh basil.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: Season the vinaigrette and help balance the flavors.
Veggies
- Ears of corn: Grilling the corn caramelizes its natural sugars and adds smoky sweetness. Fresh summer corn is best!
- Fresh tomatoes: Use ripe garden tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes for the sweetest flavor.
- Red onion: For a bit of crunch and a sharp bite that balances the rich salmon. Soak the thin slices in ice water for 10 minutes if you prefer a milder flavor.
- Arugula: Its peppery flavor pairs beautifully with salmon and the sweet summer veggies. Mixed greens, spinach, or baby kale also work well as a substitute.
- Fresh basil: Torn basil leaves scattered over the finished salad reinforce the fresh basil flavor in the vinaigrette.
How to Make Salmon Salad
1. Season salmon with the dry rub. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, lemon zest, and sugar (optional). Spray or brush olive oil onto each large salmon filet and sprinkle with the dry rub.
2. Blend the basil vinaigrette. Add basil, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, shallots, water, salt, and black pepper to a blender and blend until achieving a smooth texture and desired creaminess.
3. Grill the corn and salmon. Preheat the grill to 450°F or medium-high heat and grease the grates. Season the corn with olive oil and salt. Sear for 10 minutes, rotating every few minutes. Place the salmon on the grill and check after 2-3 minutes for grill marks before flipping. Grill for a few more minutes, to medium or your preferred doneness. Turn off the heat.
4. Assemble. Cut the kernels off the corn and cut the salmon. Arrange arugula on a serving platter, in a shallow bowl, or on individual salad plates. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over top (or toss in a bowl with the vinaigrette and transfer to a serving dish), then add corn, tomatoes, onions, and salmon. Garnish with fresh herbs (basil, fresh parsley, chives, and fresh dill are all nice) and spoon more dressing over the salad.
Chef’s Tips
- Can this be made in an oven? Yes, bake both seasoned salmon and corn on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 400F. Salmon will take 10-15 minutes, and corn will take 20-25 minutes. You can also use a grill pan.
- Pat the salmon dry. Pat the filets dry before seasoning so the spices adhere well and the salmon develops beautiful grill marks.
- Grease the grill grates well. Clean, well-oiled grill grates help prevent sticking and make flipping much easier.
- Be careful not to overcook the salmon. Remove it when it reaches 125-130°F for medium or 135-140°F for medium-well. It will continue cooking slightly as it rests.
- Let the salmon rest. Resting for 5 minutes allows the juices to redistribute and keeps the fish moist and flaky.
- Use peak-season tomatoes. Ripe, juicy summer tomatoes really elevate this salad! For the most delicious flavor, use tomatoes from the garden or your local farmers’ market.
- Dress just before serving. Toss the greens with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat them, then drizzle a little extra over the finished salad right before serving. The dressing can be made ahead- let it come to room temperature before using.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Grilled Salmon Salad at room temperature with sourdough bread or focaccia bread sourdough crackers, rustic seed crackers, or with a side of quinoa or grilled potatoes.
Storage
Storage: Summer Corn, Tomato, and Salmon Salad is best enjoyed fresh; however, it will keep for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, store the vinaigrette separately.
Repurpose leftovers! You could turn leftovers into lettuce wraps or make a tasty salmon salad wrap! Enjoy the salmon cold or reheat on parchment paper on a baking sheet in the oven and bake until 130-140°F.
Basil Vinaigrette: This can be made a few days ahead, and you will have leftover dressing that will keep for 4-5 days in a sealed jar in the fridge. Mix it into mayo or yogurt for a basil aioli or creamy dip, use it on pasta salad, or drizzle it on grilled summer vegetables or potatoes.
More Salmon Salad Recipes
If you love salmon, be sure to check out our delicious and healthy collection of salmon recipes!
After you try this Salmon Salad recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Tonia
Salmon Salad with Summer Corn, Tomato and Basil Dressing
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 1x
- Category: entertaining, grill recipe, grilling recipe, healthy dinner, salad, summer dinner, summer salad
- Method: Baked, Grilling
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Gluten-Free, high protein, Keto, Low-Carb
Description
Fresh, colorful, and bursting with summer flavor, this Salmon Salad combines grilled salmon, sweet corn, ripe tomatoes, peppery arugula, and a vibrant basil vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon filets
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Basil Vinaigrette (OK to make this ahead)
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons shallots
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Veggies
- 3 ears of corn on the cob
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, sliced in wedges
- 1/4 of a red onion, cut into thin slices (feel free to soak in salted water to remove bitterness, drain)
- 5 ounces arugula (4-5 cups packed)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Dry-rub salmon. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, lemon zest, and sugar in a small bowl. Spray or brush salmon with olive oil. Sprinkle spice mix evenly over the fillets.
- Make basil vinaigrette. In a blender or food processor, blend basil, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, shallots, water, salt, and black pepper until mostly smooth.
- Grill. Heat grill to medium-high. (450F) Brush corn with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Sear for 10 minutes, turning every few minutes. Place the seasoned salmon on the greased, hot grill. Check after 2-3 minutes for grill marks, then turn. Continue grilling for a few more minutes, to medium (or your preferred doneness), and turn the heat off.
- Assemble the salad. Cut the kernels off the grilled corn and cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces. Arrange arugula on a platter or shallow serving bowl (or on individual salad plates), drizzle with a little vinaigrette (or toss in a bowl and then place on the platter), then layer the corn, tomatoes, onions, and salmon on top of the arugula. Spoon more salad dressing over the top and sprinkle with torn basil leaves.
- Serve with lemon wedges, crusty bread, focaccia bread, sourdough crackers, rustic seed crackers, or with side of quinoa or roasted potatoes.
Notes
No Grill? While we do prefer this grilled, you can bake the corn and salmon at 400F on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Corn will take roughly 20-25 minutes; salmon will take 10-15 minutes depending on thickness. I would give them an extra brushing of olive oil (or use olive oil spray). A grill pan works too!
Leftovers. Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1-2 days; best if the dressing is separate.
Leftover dressing will keep up to 5 days – and so many ways to enjoy it: Mix into mayo or yogurt for a basil aioli or creamy dip, use on pasta salad, or drizzle on grilled summer vegetables or potatoes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Dinner-Sized portion
- Calories: 488
- Sugar: 12.7 g
- Sodium: 394 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 86.9 mg
Made this and it was a winner!! The combo of salmon, summer veggies and basil dressing was perfecto!
I’m trying it this weekend with avocado and grilled red pepper for friend that won’t eat tomatoes. ( I will be enjoying the tomatoes).
As always, F@H recipes rule!!
Great to hear Jilly! Love that you are trying different things. Appreciate you taking the time to review. 🙂
Thank you so much Sylvia for sharing, this is one of the best meals I’ve cooked all summer! Huge hit at my dinner table tonight. The basil vinaigrette is so good and easy to make. Starting to imagine all the other things I might serve it with. I’ll definitely be making this one again.
Glad to hear this Conor! Appreciate your review.
Have made twice (in the same week). A delicious recipe…the dry salmon rub and the basil vinaigrette are so good! It’s a fast recipe to make and perfect for summer produce. Thank you so much for creating and sharing your amazing recipes.
Thanks Dianne! Happy you are enjoying.🥰
This was one of the tastiest meals I’ve had in a while. The flavors are vibrant and delicious- so healthy, too! We enjoyed it with roasted baby potatoes and it was perfect. Thank you!
Great to hear Melissa!
This recipe is AWESOME!!!
So happy you liked this one!
Omg this grilled salmon was soooo good! 🔥 The flavor was on point, it was seasoned perfectly, juicy, and not dry at all. You can tell it’s made with clean ingredients and it actually tastes good without needing a bunch of extra stuff. Definitely a 10/10 for me! I would absolutely make this again.”
Awesome Mia! Thanks for taking time to leave a review.
I am sucker for basil and this was a great use for it. I also loved the tip for soaking the red onion in salted water. I must be a very literal person because at the end of my assembly I had a bowl of corn left. I fixed that and everything came together so well. I kept all the leftovers separate and you never would have known it was left over. Now I have to grow more basil!
Hi Heather, Glad you enjoyed. Got the corn in the instructions now- thanks for the heads up. 🙂
This salad was delicious! I used frozen corn because I couldn’t find organic corn on the cob and I baked the salmon in the oven since it was 104 degrees outside! The basil dressing is so good as well!
Awesome Lisa! Thanks for sharing your adaptions, so helpful!
I enjoyed it once I added more dressing to the lettuce, which helped it to all come together. I will toss my lettuce and corn, tomatoes in dressing first next time, no drizzling😉. I also threw in some parmesan flakes.
Salmon rub yum too! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed Simone!
Simply delicious, so easy to make! The basil vinaigrette with the salmon and corn, tomatoes and greens was exceptional- a well balanced, very flavorful meal. I added a double baguette on the side and lemon to squeeze on the salad. Enjoy!
Perfect Kathi! Glad you gave it a try.
Lovely salad! I tweaked it a little based on what I had in my refrigerator. So trout, instead of salmon and red pepper instead of tomatoes. But I followed the rest and it was really yummy! I ended up adding a smidge more vinegar, but I think that was because I had a little water in my basil for the dressing. I should’ve spun it first. Will make this for friends next time!
Love hearing the tweaks Carole-Anne!
A feast for the eyes and the palate! Just made it for a dinner party – comes together easily and beautiful presentation, and the basil vinaigrette in addition to the fish rub peaks the flavor profile of the entire dish! I did add some Shwarma spice to the rub – delicious dish!!!!
Glad you enjoyed Joyce!
Great, healthy salad which I will make again! The corn adds such a nice sweetness and crunchiness to the salad! The only two changes I will make are these:
(1) I am not a big fan of garlic and onion powder so will replace these, probably with sumac.
(2) Add 1 or 2 tbsp lemon juice to dressing.
Thanks Barbara, glad you gave it a try!
I love this!!!
Nice to hear Mimi!
Besides the beautiful color, the nutritional value is oustanding! What a wonderful salad to serve for a summer day!
Nice to hear Claudia. 🙂