This canned salmon Salad with crunchy vegetables and curry-spiced mayonnaise dressing is super simple to make and is great as a lunch meal or a light dinner. You can make a one-person serving or a larger batch as a make-ahead healthy lunch as it keeps well for a few days. This salad can be made with canned tuna or sardines and it’s low-carb, keto, paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free.

Caned Salmon Salad
As one of my go-to lunch meals, this canned salmon is somewhat of a template. The key ingredients are the same – canned salmon, mayonnaise, onions, curry spice – but the vegetables always differ depending on what I have on hand. It’s similar to my tuna and sweet potato salad but without the starchy root vegetables.
What’s Good About This Salad
Well, it’s quite tasty, for starters. And easy! From a nutritional standpoint, it’s filled with goodies (see the nutritional panel below for just how good it is). You’ll get plenty of anti-inflammatory, heart and brain-beneficial omega-3 fatty acids from canned salmon (budget-friendly!), as well as protein. B-vitamins and a whole array of minerals.
Then come the veggies with all their fibre and antioxidants. Curry spice used in the dressing adds a touch of turmeric with its cancer-protecting properties. And, I like to top it off with some nuts or seeds and in this case, it’s pumpkin seeds with all that anti-ageing vitamin E.
Plus, it’s a meal that ticks a lot of the dietary boxes: satiating, protein-rich, low-carb/keto, paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, and pescatarian.
Cook’s Notes
The recipe below is for two servings but I love making an even larger batch of this salad as it keeps well for a few days in the fridge. You can pull it out after a workout or for a quick lunch.
For variation, I sometimes serve it inside an avocado half (like stuffed avocados) or over shredded lettuce or baby spinach. You can also dish it up with some rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes for extra carbohydrates.
You can use any type of canned fish here but go for the oily kind to get all those omega-3s: salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel. As we add our own dressing, I suggest using unflavored fish in brine or olive oil (depending on your calorie needs).
Should I Take Out Bones From Canned Salmon?
This is optional, some of the bones are very small and it’s fine to leave those in as they will get mashed up and you won’t notice them. The larger spine bones will get mixed in but they are a bit crunchier, so if that bothers you, take them out.
One thing to note is that the bones in a can of salmon are the main source of calcium (and a few other minerals) so I always leave the small ones in. They certainly won’t harm you in any way.
More Salmon Recipes You Might Like
- Rainbow Salad Power Bowl With Salmon & Sesame Dressing
- Cloud Bread Blinis With Smoked Salmon
- Paleo Sushi With Nori, Salmon & Avocado
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Ingredients
- ½ onion yellow or red, finely diced
- ½ lemon juiced, about 2 tablespoons, you can add a little more
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 11 oz canned salmon drained, about 350 g
- 1 cup celeriac root kohlrabi or another radish
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 1 cup red pepper about 1/2 large red pepper, diced
- 1 large celery stick diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds or other seeds/nuts
Instructions
- Combine diced onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, curry powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Dice and add the rest of ingredients. Combine well and enjoy. Store for up to 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
I just made this recipe for the first time (minus the capsicum as it doesn’t agree with me), and it was delicious. I will definitely be making again and adding to my rotation!
Thanks Leanne,so happy you enjoyed, thanks for leaving a comment 🙂 Irena