This nutritious cajun salmon salad with kale and quinoa is filled with all your Greek salad favourites. It’s so easy to make, gluten-free and is perfect for an appetiser or main dish.
Say a big warm hello and welcome to your new go-to salad guys. This grilled cajun salmon quinoa salad is super delicious and nutritious twist on the greek salad classic!
Filled with quality protein, healthy fats, fibre-rich carbs, and tons of greens. Your body will love you for eating this! It makes such a perfect option to serve at your next dinner party, BBQ, or gathering. Plus you can keep it plain or use any dressing you are craving.
We are all about the chopped salad life here. Simply dice up the veggies, mix with massaged kale, lots of lemon or lime juice, quinoa and top with the salmon. For the salmon I used a variety of spices common in Cajun seasonings. These give the salmon that slightly blackened look when cooked. You can grill the salmon in a frying pan (like I did), on the BBQ or air fry if you prefer. Feel free to use a store-bought cajun spice blend for convenience.
Ingredients you'll need:
All you need to make this cajun salmon salad recipe are 10 simple ingredients:
- Salmon
- Cajun seasoning
- Kale
- Quinoa
- Grape tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Feta cheese
- Lemon or lime juice
- Salt
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps
- Instead of kale: feel free to use another leafy green! Something like baby spinach, or a salad leaf mix would work perfectly.
- If you can’t find “grape” tomatoes feel free to use any variety of tomatoes and simply cut them into smaller pieces.
- Dairy free option: feel free to skip the feta or use a vegan cheese. Tamari almonds would also be delicious!
- Don't have red onions? Use a brown instead.
- Quinoa alternative: Replace with couscous, brown rice or barley.
How to make cajun salmon salad
- Season salmon: Cut the salmon fillets into large cubes and rub with the cajun seasoning.
- Cook salmon: Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon for about 2-3 mins each side until cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a plate. Set aside for 5 mins to rest.
- Salad: In a large bowl massage the kale leaves with lemon/ lime juice and a pinch of salt to tenderise the leaves. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, cooked quinoa and feta cheese. Toss everything together to combine.
- Serve: transfer the salad to a large serving plate, top with the cooked salmon and squeeze extra lemon/ lime juice. Enjoy!
Tips for making this recipe in advanced
If you’d like to make this recipe in advance (to bring to a dinner party, for instance) here are my tips:
- Cook the quinoa the day before and store in the fridge.
- The salad can be prepared in advance. The ONLY one I hesitate with *a bit* would be the feta. I find feta is best when added fresh before serving.
- You can cook the salmon prior and refrigerate until ready to serve. Gently flake with a fork when plating up.
- Keep everything in the fridge until you’re ready to go!
How long can I keep salmon salad in the fridge?
Leftovers of this salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. The fish won't be safe to eat after that. I’d recommend enjoying the leftovers cold, so as to not compromise the texture of the salmon.
Not really. It has a little kick from the chili, but it is fairly mild.
The spice mix is made up of garlic, oregano, paprika, cayenne, thyme and onion. You could buy a packet of Cajun spice, but it's really easy to make yourself. If you make a big batch of it, it will keep in an air-tight container for months.
If you have leftovers of the Cajun salmon, then flake it up and add to pasta, rice, toast, but my favourite way is in this salad for an easy lunch.
More salads you may like:
Roasted Pumpkin + Zucchini Couscous Salad
Roast Apple, Beetroot & Halloumi Salad
Roasted Sweet Potato & Beetroot Salad
If you try this cajun salmon salad recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
Print
Cajun Salmon Quinoa Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
Description
This nutritious cajun salmon salad with kale and quinoa a a delicious twist on greek classic. It's so easy to make, gluten-free and is perfect for an appetiser or main dish.
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets, skin removed
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- 2 large leaves kale
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- ½ punnet grape tomatoes, sliced
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
- ¼ red onion, diced
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Fresh lemon or lime juice, to taste
- Pinch of salt
- Olive oil, to cook
Instructions
- Cut the salmon fillets into large cubes and rub with the cajun seasoning.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon for about 2-3 mins each side until cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a plate. Set aside for 5 mins to rest.
- In a large bowl massage the kale leaves with lemon/ lime juice and a pinch of salt to tenderise the leaves. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, cooked quinoa and feta cheese. Toss everything together to combine.
- Transfer the salad to a large serving plate, top with the cooked salmon and squeeze extra lemon/ lime juice. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, dinner
- Method: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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