Canned Salmon Potato Salad with Dill Dressing

This canned salmon salad with potatoes comes with a zesty dill and lemon dressing and makes a delicious, healthy family meal as well as party food idea. With a little preparation it can be ready in minutes!

Making a canned salmon salad is an easy and delicious way of serving salmon. Canned salmon is convenient and easy to prepare – simply open, drain and use the salmon. It’s one of the healthiest convenience foods out there!

This canned salmon recipe also contains potatoes as well as vegetables which together create a satisfying salad meal perfect to serve on its own.

Is canned salmon healthy

Yes, it is!

Although it’s difficult to find a definitive guide on what constitutes the best canned salmon all sources I’ve come across agree on one thing – canned salmon is healthy. It’s high in Omega-3 as well as protein and Vitamin D. Most canned salmon is wild pink salmon and it can be sold with or without the skin and bones.  While both are healthy choices canned salmon with the skin and bones contains more calcium as well as Omega-3.

Canned salmon is just as nutritious as fresh and in some cases may even be better (if the latter is farmed). Check out also this simple recipe for salmon salad sandwich!

Top tip

All varieties of canned salmon contain salt, some more than others, so be sure to read the label if you are on a low-sodium diet.  

Canned salmon salad ingredients

This salad consists of tinned salmon and potatoes served on a bed of crunchy lettuce and topped with radishes, gherkins/dill pickles, capers and chives for added crunch, zest and freshness, as well as a garnish of watercress.

The base for the creamy dressing in this salmon potato salad is a combination of mayonnaise and yogurt (to keep the calories down).  This zesty dressing also contains Dijon mustard, lemon juice as well as the zest, a little maple syrup, oil and freshly chopped dill.

Top tip

You can add a tablespoon of water if you would like to loosen the consistency of the dressing (alternatively use more lemon juice instead of the water). Add the water, if using, after you’ve made the dressing (so you know exactly how much to use).

What potatoes to use

Use salad potatoes or baby potatoes as these are low in starch and hold their shape in cooking. Salad potatoes are usually smaller than regular white potato varieties and tend to be oval shaped rather than round. Good options are Alexandra or Charlotte potatoes (in the UK) or red and fingerling potatoes (in the US).

Top tip

You can use peeled or unpeeled potatoes in this tinned salmon salad recipe.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Start by boiling the potatoes (with or without the skin) until tender. You can do this ahead and once cooled refrigerate the potatoes overnight. Cool the potatoes completely before assembling the salad.

2. Make the dressing by placing all the ingredients (not the water) in a bowl and stirring until thoroughly combined. Add a little water/lemon juice if needed, season to taste and set aside.

3. To assemble the salad spread the lettuce over a large plate (or use a wide-bottom bowl), add the potatoes and scatter chunks of salmon over the top.  Add the remaining ingredients, season with pepper (see ***Notes), pour the dressing over the whole thing and enjoy your potato salmon salad.

Other ingredients you can use in this salad

This canned salmon salad with potatoes is quite adaptable and you can add more ingredients depending on what you have on hand. These can include chopped cucumber, avocado, garden peas (or petits pois), leftover cooked green beans or broccoli florets, broad beans or edamame beans, as well as thinly sliced fennel. 

Top tips

• *Use canned salmon with or without the skin and bones (not all canned salmon tastes the same and the price tends to reflect the quality – the better the salmon the tastier your salad will be!).
• **Try to use similar size potatoes so they cook evenly. Use whole or halved potatoes (if they are large) in your salad.
• You can boil the potatoes ahead and once cooled refrigerate them (overnight) until you are ready to assemble the salad.
• ***You may not need to add salt to this salad as the canned salmon is salty and the dressing contains mayonnaise which is another salty ingredient. But it’s a good idea to be generous with the pepper.
• The dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated in a jar for up to 3 days.
• Leftover canned salmon can also be stored in a plastic/glass container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Freeze leftover canned salmon for up to 3 months.

Can I use leftover salmon in this recipe

Yes, you can! If you have ready-to-eat salmon leftovers this potato salmon salad is the perfect recipe to use them.  Shred your salmon and assemble the salad as per Instructions.

Substitutions

• Yogurt: use natural yogurt, Greek yogurt, Skyr or quark.
• Watercress: use chopped spinach, arugula or pea shoots.
• The maple syrup can be replaced with honey.

You might also like

• Salmon Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
• Creamy Potato Salad with Dill (Healthy)
• My Mum’s Polish Potato Salad (Jarzynowa)
• Potato Salad Deviled Eggs (No Mayo)
• Polish-Style Beet Potato Salad

Keep in touch!

If you make this potato and salmon salad I'd love to know how it turned out for you.  Did you make any swaps? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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