Smoked Salmon Salad is made with fresh ingredients. The perfect cold entrée. An elegant smoked salmon recipe that is sure to impress.
An easy salad with cold smoked salmon slices, cucumber noodles, and a creamy dill dressing. You might also want to try smoked salmon cucumber boats.
Refreshing and light, this low carb salad with cucumbers and smoked salmon is a sure hit for lunch or brunch. Patio dining perfection.
I love a good salad recipe. In the summer we often have salad for dinner on warm summer nights. Easy to prepare. Crisp and refreshing. You can never go wrong with the combination of salmon, dill, and cucumbers.
Speaking of cucumbers, if you love traditional cucumber tea sandwiches, then you need to try this cucumber bagel sandwich. Perfect for any meal of the day.
Smoked Salmon Salad Ingredients
- cucumber noodles
- smoked salmon
- sour cream
- fresh dill
- cherry tomatoes
- capers
- salt and pepper
Preparing Cold Smoked Salmon Cucumber Salad
So easy, it doesn’t involve any cooking! Full instructions are in the recipe card. I have some great recipe tips and substitutions below.
- Spiralize the cucumber into noodles.
- Sprinkle with salt and let drain in a colander.
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Combine the dressing with the cucumber noodles.
- Add the salmon slices.
- Top with tomatoes and capers.
- Garnish and serve.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Cucumber noodles are fun. Easily made with a spiralizer or mandoline. Make cucumber ribbons using a potato peeler. You can also just cut the cucumber into thin slices, or thick slices then cut them into quarters. Leave the skin on.
- Sour cream can be replaced with Greek yogurt.
- Fresh dill is always best, but in a pinch, dried dill is always an option.
- Capers can be replaced with olives.
Store leftovers in a container in the fridge. This salad is best served immediately upon making. The noodles will get soggy and watery if it sits too long.
Did you know that there are several types of smoked salmon? Lox is cured in a brine and NOT smoked. It has a buttery texture and a very salty taste.
Smoked salmon is dry-cured in salt and then smoked over a somewhat long period of time. Also known as cold smoked salmon because the temperature never gets above 80 degrees F. Much like my cold smoked cheese. The smoking does not cook the fish, and the texture resembles raw fish.
This type of salmon is the one found most often in stores. Thin slices, vacuum sealed and most often found in the freezer section. You can get it fresh as well.
Hot smoked salmon (also called kippered) is cured in a wet salty brine, then smoked for a few hours at about 120 degrees F (or a little higher).
Then there is gravlax. Salmon is cured and not smoked. This type of curing uses much less salt and ingredients like dill, lemon, sugar, and vodka.
More smoked salmon ideas:
- Smoked Salmon Sandwich
- Potato Appetizers
- Warm Potato and Smoked Salmon Salad
- Smoked Salmon Stuffed Potatoes
- Smoked Salmon Bagel
- Egg Tacos
Smoked Salmon Salad With Cucumber Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 pound cucumber noodles (spiralized)
- 5 ounces smoked salmon
- 2 ½ ounces sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill (and extra for garnish)
- 3 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons capers
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
To Make The Cucumber Noodles:
- Spiralize the cucumber (skin on) into thick noodles. Place in a colander and add about ½ tsp. kosher salt.
- Let sit for 15 minutes, rinse, and squeeze dry in a kitchen towel. Place in a large bowl.
To Make The Dressing:
- While the noodles are draining, combine the sour cream and dill in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
To Arrange The Salad:
- Wash and cut the tomatoes (or leave whole if you wish).
- Add the dressing to the cucumber noodles and combine.
- Divide the noodles into 2 bowls or plates.
- Place the salmon slices in and around the noodles on the plate.
- Top with the tomatoes and capers.
- Garnish with additional fresh dill and cracked black pepper.
Heather
This looks absolutely amazing! Super easy to make and smoked salmon is a favorite in my house .. love the idea of adding it to a salad.. very creative!
Homemade & Yummy
This is a keeper and makes a quick delicious meal.
Kelsey
I love this for lunch! I have been needing a new recipe to have for lunch and this is it! I love the smoked salmon and I cannot wait to make this!
Homemade & Yummy
You will have people wanting you to make their lunches after they see this.
Julie
We do lots of zucchini and sweet potato noodles, but I’ve never thought about trying cucumber noodles before!
Homemade & Yummy
I love using my spiralizer….and try all kinds of things.
Sharon
The zucchini noodles are a genius pairing for the salmon and cream sauce. This looks delicious!
Homemade & Yummy
They are actually CUCUMBER NOODLES…and they are delicious.
Chef Markus Mueller
I’m still swimming in home grown cucumbers! My tomatoes haven’t ripened yet(thanks to the wonky weather). Hoping to start picking tomatoes this week! This would make a great addition to a charcuterie platter as light side salad!
Homemade & Yummy
I just spent the afternoon roasting about 30 pounds of tomatoes. Hope yours ripen soon.
Jackie
I just so happen to have some lox in my fridge and will be making this tonight! it looks so fresh and delicious. Love how you explained the different types of salmon!
Homemade & Yummy
So glad you found the post interesting. Enjoy the salad…we sure do.
Anne Murphy
Oh, I have to try that! My inlaws love their Nova – but she has started to have trouble with the bagel… And they’ve enjoyed salads I make with the spiralizer! This gives me an option that will feel more like a New Idea than a loss…
Homemade & Yummy
Well I hope they enjoy this salad…if they love smoked salmon, this is a winner for sure.
Eileen Kelly
I love smoked salmon. Using the zoodles makes this a fabulous low-carb meal. The dressing is delicious! I love everything about making this and its going into my rotation!
Homemade & Yummy
SO glad you like it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Shelley
Seriously enjoyed this recipe post! I adore smoked salmon and oh.my.goodness – turning it into a salad over cucumber noodles is just sheer genius! YUM! Also, I thought your discussion of the differences among the various types of smoked/cured salmon was really terrific!
Homemade & Yummy
So glad you liked the post. It is interesting for sure about all the salmons. Most people think there is only one…or that they are ALL the same.
Dominique
This salad is so unique! The flavors are meant to be and come together in such an elegant way. My father would absolutely love this and I can’t wait to make it for him.
Homemade & Yummy
Hope he loves this salad as much as we do. Such an easy meal any day of the week.
Nicolas Hortense
Smoked salmon has been a favourite of mine for a long time. Looks so good in this fresh, light salad. And smoked salmon and dill are best friends so I definitely approve you adding it to this salad (:
Homemade & Yummy
Well the Ukrainian in me knows a thing or two about dill. We use it ALL the time.
Jersey Girl Cooks
This light meal needs to be my lunch soon!
Homemade & Yummy
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you give it a try.
Dana
I am ALL about smoked salmon and cucumber together. I think it’s one of my most favorite food pairings, to be honest! Needless to say, I am so so so into this idea. So crisp, cool, and perfect for these last few scorching weeks of summer here in NC!
Homemade & Yummy
Well it sure is STILL hot here too. This is a great meal for those hot, muggy days.
Stephanie Simmons
This looks like such a delicious salad – and filling too! I love salmon, especially when it’s smoked!
Homemade & Yummy
This makes a great dinner salad for sure. Easy and delicious.
Tracy Koslicki
Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE smoked salmon AND a cucumber dill salad! Your creamy dressing sounds incredible and I just love the addition of capers too. I’m going to go check out the rest of your smoked salmon recipes too – I think I need to fill a craving soon!
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH…well enjoy. I hope you give a few of them a try.