10 Minute Salmon Salad (No Cook)

**This post was developed and written by Nancy Gammack, RD when she was a dietetic intern and volunteer for Ignite Nutrition.

As a registered dietitian I am always on the lookout for a quick and nutritious meal. This next recipe I want to share with you is an easy salmon salad. It doesn’t need any fancy cooking skills or appliances, and you can have it ready in under 10 minutes. Anyone else agree that sounds like the best recipe? I mean who doesn’t love simple?  And for those IBSer’s out there, this salad is also low FODMAP and full of nutrients!

Often at restaurants, we only find two choices for the side salad – Caesar salad or a toss green salad. Depending on where you dine, the green salad may really be mostly lettuce with 2 cucumbers or 2 cherry tomatoes. If you are lucky, you might get a little more colour and sustenance in your salad, but often it isn’t too much. However, when you cook at home, the possibilities for salads are endless!

This easy salmon salad recipe includes a variety of veggies, including cherry tomatoes, peppers, and spinach leaves. These veggies are filled with lots of important vitamins and minerals, and fibre! Next, it uses canned salmon which keeps the cooking time to a minimum (actually ZERO cooking time!)

Looking to try another low FODMAP salad recipe? This tabouleh salad is delicious, or this lemon quinoa salad is another great low FODMAP option too!

Key Ingredients for a Good Salad

The most important point to remember when modifying or creating new salads, is to make sure you include a good protein source! Try fish, chicken, pork, red meat, tofu, beans or lentils. Protein is what is going to help you feel satisfied for many hours to come! So especially when you are using the salad as the main meal, it is important to make sure you include a good protein source on top of your grain or vegetable salad.

The salad is topped off with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, for a little crunch! Lastly, I love to dress this salad with a little apple cider vinegar (because we ALWAYS get asked about ACV for gut health), extra virgin olive oil, and salt, for a simple healthy salad dressing.

However, this Simple Salmon Salad is just a starter kit for you to experiment with to create scrumptious salads! There are so many great combinations out there!

How do I update my salad?

You could try roasting the vegetables to bring out more flavour before throwing them in the salad. You could try substituting spinach leaves with a grain base like quinoa, or brown rice. Or you could change up the protein to a cooked chicken breast or roasted tofu. All these varieties work great with this simple homemade salad dressing as well.

Salmon serves as a great protein source, that will help you stay full longer. In addition, the salmon provides you with some healthy unsaturated fats like omega-3, which are important for brain health, as well as lowering your risk for cardiovascular diseases.¹

I hope this recipe can help show you just how simple and versatile salads can be!

Do you eat the bones in canned salmon?

Canned salmon bones are edible and safe to consume. In fact, canned salmon bones can provide calcium to contribute to your own bone health! They are generally soft with a light crunch. I find that if you mix them well with the salmon they are not very noticeable and it’s much easier than trying to pick them out. Plus they add in some extra nutrients!

How long is salmon salad good for in the fridge?

Salmon salad is good for 3-4 days int he refrigerator. Make sure to store the salmon salad in an airtight container. One thing I like to do with leftover salmon salad is to eat it with crackers or turn it into a sandwich by adding it onto toast.

Love this low FODMAP recipe as much as we do? Our collection of low FODMAP recipes were created to help you navigate the low FODMAP diet. Many of our patients have tried implementing the low FODMAP diet on their own. However, this diet should be conducted with the support of a registered dietitian. At Ignite Nutrition we offer one-on-one nutrition counselling to help you start on the low FODMAP diet with guidance.

**Last reviewed May 2022 for Monash FODMAP portions