This smoked salmon salad is not your average salad, with layers of juicy segmented oranges and shaved cucumber. It’s the perfect appetizer or side dish that’s fresh, bright, and can be made in 15 minutes or less!
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The citrusy sweetness of naval oranges, the crunch of freshly shaved cucumber, the bursts of heat from the peppercorns, and the tender saltiness of good-quality smoked salmon, all crowned by a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of chives. You definitely won’t need to or want to mask these flavors with a bagel and cream cheese (though that would be a delicious adaptation!).
Both a perfect starter/side and a work of art for your table, all of the colors, textures, and flavors combined in this smoked salmon salad will make it a showstopping addition to your next meal! If you’re looking for more simple but fancy-feeling dishes to wow your dinner guests, I recommend these Spanakopita Bites or my easy Popovers. Also, if you just can’t get enough of the rich, buttery taste of salmon, make sure to check out my recipes for Salmon Croquettes, Salmon Salad, and Fresh Salmon Burgers.
Why You Will Love This Smoked Salmon Salad
- Quick and easy: in just 15 minutes and four steps, you can have this fresh, tangy salad on your table.
- Impressive, yet uncomplicated: this salad seems so much more sophisticated and complicated than it is to make. This will surely “wow” your dinner guests while still saving you time and energy in the kitchen.
- Completely customizable: part of the beauty of this smoked salmon salad’s simplicity is how easy it is to customize it to your taste and preferences! Consider adding spinach or arugula to make this a heartier, more “salad-y” salad. You could also add these delicious Homemade Croutons for an additional crunch or take a page out of this Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast’s book and include thinly sliced red onion and avocado.
Smoked Salmon Salad Ingredients
- Smoked salmon – choose a good-quality smoked salmon for the base of our smoked salmon salad.
- Ripe naval or Cara Cara oranges – either variety will provide a tart yet sweet burst of flavor and add some vibrancy to your plate. Your oranges should have some “give” when you squeeze them to know they’re ripe!
- Pickling cucumbers – Use a mandolin or vegetable peeler to create thin cucumber slices. The skins can be partially peeled for extra color/texture. You can also use an English cucumber.
- A small handful of chives – a sprinkle of chives over the dish adds a subtle onion flavor and a fun splash of color.
- Extra virgin olive oil – wrap this salad up with a generous drizzle of high-quality olive oil.
- Black pepper – I like to add a few black peppercorns to the top of the salad (crushed or whole) to add a kicky “surprise”!
How to Make Smoked Salmon Salad
Make this impressive and delicious smoked salmon salad in just a few easy steps! This is an outline; the full recipe is in the recipe card below.
- Slice smoked salmon into 2–3 inch pieces, roll into spirals, and place them in the center of the plate.
- Peel oranges, remove the membrane, and cut into wedges. Arrange wedges around the salmon and squeeze leftover juice over it.
- Slice cucumber into thin ribbons or strips, cut into 2-inch pieces, and place a handful on top of the salmon.
- Snip chives over the dish, drizzle with olive oil, and serve immediately.
Smoked Salmon Salad Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve this fabulous smoked salmon salad that allow it to truly shine!
- As an appetizer: Serve this dish as a starter along with a few other appetizers like crisp Crostini with fig jam and goat cheese, a snazzy Charcuterie Board, or this beautiful, easy Puff Pastry Tart. All of these dishes have flavor profiles that complement the salad’s complexity but do not compete with the salad, making this a harmonious and refreshing start to your meal! I also recommend serving this salad before a main dish that complements its smoky, tangy flavors without overpowering them. This creamy, veggie-forward Pasta Primavera would be a great choice for a delicious main dish that would beautifully follow up the vibrancy of the salad appetizer.
- As a side: To round out the meal, whip up your smoked salmon salad along with some other compatible sides like this delicious Beet Salad, a warm, hearty dish like creamy polenta or German Potato Salad, and a homemade Baguette.
More Salmon Recipes to Try!
Easy Weeknight Dinners
Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon (Easy!)
Easy Weeknight Dinners
Easy Blackened Salmon
Dinner
Asian Salmon Rice Bowl
Appetizers
Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites
If you’ve tried this Smoked Salmon Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
Smoked Salmon Salad
Equipment
- Mandolin (recommended)
Ingredients
- 4 ounces smoked salmon
- 2 naval or cara cara oranges
- 2 pickling cucumbers, or half an English cucumber
- Small handful chives
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Coarse salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Slice salmon into 2-3 inch pieces. Roll pieces in spirals and place in center of 2 plates.
- Pick the orange up and place it in the palm of your hand so that you can easily see the membrane that separates each orange segment. Use your knife to cut between the membranes (lines between segments) to the center of the orange so that the segments pop out. Repeat until all segments are removed from the membrane for both oranges.
- Arrange orange segments around the salmon. Squeeze the juice of the remainder of the orange on smoked salmon.
- Use a mandolin or sharp knife to make thin slices of cucumber (with or without skin). Place a small handful of these slices on top of the plated smoked salmon.
- Snip chives over plate. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- In a pinch, use canned or jarred mandarin oranges.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is such a refreshing and delish salad!
Totally agree! Thanks for your review.
Grace