Salmon Caesar Salad

Salmon Caesar Salad, a balanced take on the classic, pairs crunchy romaine lettuce, golden croutons, and creamy homemade dressing with tender broiled salmon for a satisfying main dish. Ready in under an hour, it’s perfect for a quick yet elegant dinner that’s both hearty and refreshing. 

I love a classic Caesar salad with its refreshingly crisp lettuce, crunchy croutons, and, best of all, the tangy dressing. However, sometimes it’s not quite enough to fill me up. By adding broiled fish to an old favorite, I’ve created this Salmon Caesar Salad recipe with all the flavors I love and an extra protein boost to keep me full. It’s not just a delicious combination but also high in omega-3s. It’s quick, easy, and elevates my go-to side into a satisfying and healthy weeknight meal.

My homemade Caesar salad dressing and garlic parmesan croutons beat out store-bought versions and are worth the extra effort. Plus, making homemade croutons is a great way to use up day-old bread.

Making each component from scratch may sound like a lot, but clever multitasking pulls it together in under an hour. While classic Caesar dressing is made by slowly emulsifying the oil by hand with a whisk, I found I could whip the dressing together in seconds with an immersion blender. And it’s creamier, too. While the croutons bake, I take advantage of the time and use some of the dressing to marinate the salmon, ensuring it’s tender and flavorful. 

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients for Salmon Caesar Salad
2. How to Make Salmon Caesar Salad
3. Ways to Make This Salmon Caesar Salad Your Own
4. What to Serve with Salmon Caesar Salad
5. More Protein-Packed Salads
6. Salmon Caesar Salad Recipe

Ingredients for Salmon Caesar Salad

The ingredient list for homemade salmon Caesar salad is surprisingly short, with several pantry staples. However, most ingredients do double or triple duty, flavoring the dressing, croutons, and final salad. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Salmon: For even cooking, choose salmon filets roughly the same size and shape, such as center-cut filets.
• Romaine Lettuce: With a mild flavor and satisfying crunch, romaine lettuce is the backbone of a Caesar salad. Use a whole head or a couple of romaine hearts.
• Parmesan cheese: Salty and nutty Parmesan is indispensable. I add it to everything: the salmon, the dressing, the croutons, and a generous sprinkle over each serving.
• Crusty bread: For the best crunch, use slices of Italian bread or other crusty bread like a baguette.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil forms the base of the Caesar salad dressing and adds richness and a fruity flavor. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Anchovies: These little fish have a salty, funky, umami flavor and have heart-healthy fats. 
• Garlic: Garlic is sweet, nutty, and irresistible. Because the garlic in the dressing is raw, it doesn’t lose all of its sharp edge, so a little goes a long way. 
• Lemon: Lemon juice adds bright, citrusy acidity to the dressing. If you want to intensify the lemon flavor, you could add the lemon zest to the croutons, dressing, or on top of the salad.
• Egg yolk: Egg yolk is a natural emulsifier that stabilizes the dressing, making it rich, creamy, and smooth.
• Kosher salt and pepper: Enhance the other flavors in the salad.

How to Make Salmon Caesar Salad

Assembling this salmon caesar salad does consist of a few elements: making the dressing, baking the croutons, and broiling the salmon, but the flavor of these homemade components is unequaled. Plus, some smart multitasking keeps the cooking to under an hour. Here’s how to make it:

• Get ready. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange one rack in the center of the oven and another 6 to 8 inches from the broiler. 
• Make the Caesar salad dressing: In a liquid measuring cup, combine 3 finely chopped oil-packed anchovy filets, 1 finely grated garlic clove, 1 egg yolk, 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Use an immersion blender on high speed to emulsify and blend the dressing until it’s smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
• Marinate the salmon: Pat the 4 (4-to 5-ounce) salmon filets dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in a wide, shallow bowl and coat it with 1/4 cup of the Caesar salad dressing. Leave it to marinate at room temperature for up to 30 minutes while making the croutons, or for up to 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Make the croutons: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 finely grated or minced garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add 2 cups cubed crusty bread (about 3/4-inch cubes from 2 to 3 slices) and toss to coat. Spread the bread cubes into a single layer on a sheet pan. Place on the rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, toss, and continue baking until golden and crunchy, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer the croutons to a bowl or plate to cool.
• Broil the salmon: Switch the oven from bake to broil on high. Wipe any crumbs off the sheet pan and line it with aluminum foil. Place the salmon on the baking sheet, wiping away some of the excess but leaving a coating of dressing. Place the salmon on the top rack, under the broiler. Broil until the fish is browned on top and opaque when flaked, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the salmon from the oven and set aside while assembling the salad.
• Assemble the salad: Add 1 head (or 2 hearts) chopped romaine lettuce and croutons to a large bowl. Toss to coat with the remaining Caesar dressing. Divide the salad among 4 salad bowls. Top each salad with a salmon filet, extra Parmesan cheese, and a grind of freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Ways to Make This Salmon Caesar Salad Your Own

Customizing this Caesar salad with different greens, extra veggies, or even swapping the salmon for another protein is easy.

• Switch out the greens: try using mixed greens, massaged kale (use this method), arugula, radicchio, or baby lettuce in addition to or instead of romaine lettuce.
• Swap the protein: instead of salmon, you could use grilled chicken breast, steak, or halloumi, crispy roasted chickpeas. You could also take a shortcut and use a good quality olive oil-packed canned tuna, mackerel, or sardines to top the salad instead. 
• Add more veggies: add thinly sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced radishes, or avocado to your salad. You could also add roasted bell peppers or, for an elegant touch, Olive Oil Fried Lemon Rings. 
• For an egg-free dressing: Omit the egg yolk. Reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon. Add 1/3 cup Greek yogurt. Since you don’t need to emulsify the yolk and olive oil, you can simply whisk everything together.
• To make the dressing without an immersion blender:
  • In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the anchovies, grated garlic, and salt to form a paste. Switch to a whisk and whisk in the lemon juice, then add the egg yolk and whisk to combine. Emulsify the oil (slowly!). 
  • Whisking constantly, add the olive oil one drop at a time, waiting for each addition to emulsify before adding the next. After the first couple of tablespoons, switch to pouring the olive oil in a thin, steady stream, while still whisking constantly. The dressing should look cohesive and thickened slightly, like a loose aioli.
  • Stir in the grated parmesan and ground pepper.

What to Serve with Salmon Caesar Salad

The beauty of salmon Caesar salad is that it’s a meal all in one, though a side of cheesy garlic bread would certainly be welcome at the table. To follow up for dessert, keep it simple with this easy yogurt cake, or serve something citrusy like this lemon ricotta cake. 

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