Smoked Salmon Salad
A 27g-protein lunch that never touches a stove. Smoked salmon on a bed of spinach with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and crumbled feta, finished with a homemade lemon-honey-mustard vinaigrette. 468 kcal, five minutes from fridge to plate.
The vinaigrette does the heavy lifting. Lemon juice, olive oil, yellow mustard, and a touch of honey whisked together in a small bowl, drizzled over everything. It ties the salty feta, the rich salmon, and the crisp vegetables into one plate that actually tastes like you tried.
A 27g-protein lunch that never touches a stove. Smoked salmon on a bed of spinach with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and crumbled feta, finished with a homemade lemon-honey-mustard vinaigrette. 468 kcal, five minutes from fridge to plate.
The vinaigrette does the heavy lifting. Lemon juice, olive oil, yellow mustard, and a touch of honey whisked together in a small bowl, drizzled over everything. It ties the salty feta, the rich salmon, and the crisp vegetables into one plate that actually tastes like you tried.
Ingredients
- cherry tomatoes 10 pieces
- cucumber 0.5
- red onion 0.25
- spinach 1 handful
- smoked salmon 2 oz
- feta cheese, crumbled 1.5 oz
- lemon juice 1 squeeze
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- yellow mustard 1 teaspoon
- honey 0.5 teaspoon
- bread, whole wheat 1 slice
Method
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Halve the cherry tomatoes, cut the cucumber into pieces and slice the onion into thin rings.
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Arrange a bed of spinach on a plate. Place the smoked salmon slices on top of the greens. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese evenly.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper to make the dressing and drizzle it over the salad.
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Toss lightly to combine the ingredients and toast the bread.
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Serve the smoked salmon salad with toasted bread.
Soak the sliced red onion in cold water for about five minutes before adding it to the salad. Raw red onion can overpower the delicate flavor of smoked salmon. A quick cold soak takes the sharp bite out while keeping the crunch and color intact.
Behind this recipe
Is 27g of protein enough for a meal?
Research has found that the body can use well beyond 30g of protein per meal for muscle building, and the per-meal ceiling is higher than most people assume. At 27g, this salad sits just below that common threshold. The protein comes from a combination of smoked salmon, feta, and whole wheat bread, which provides a spread of amino acids across different sources.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I make this ahead and take it to work?
Yes. The vegetables and spinach hold up in the fridge for a few hours without wilting. Keep the dressing and salmon separate until you are ready to eat. The dressing will make the spinach soggy if it sits too long, and the salmon stays fresher wrapped on its own. The feta can go either way. It crumbles more cleanly at fridge temperature.
Why smoked salmon instead of fresh or canned?
Smoked salmon is ready to eat straight from the package, which makes this a true no-cook meal beyond toasting bread. Cold smoking preserves the omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) because the process stays at low temperatures. Research has also found that whole-food fish delivers omega-3s in a nutrient matrix including selenium, vitamin D, and specialized proteins that interact during digestion in ways isolated supplement capsules do not replicate.
Read the full evidence review
