Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad

$6.82 recipe / $2.27 serving

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I made the most amazing Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing this week and I have a looooong list of foods that I can’t wait to pour it over, but my first choice was this light but filling no-cook summer salad. This Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad takes advantage of the convenience of canned salmon to make a super quick and easy meal for those summer days when all you want is to be outside having fun!

I kept this salad simple with only a couple of toppings, but I there were so many different ingredients I wanted to pile on there. I’m going to include a list of other toppings that would go great with this salad and dressing, just in case you happen to have them on hand and want to get fancy!

Overhead view of the Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad with a jar of dressing and cut lemon on the side

Other Topping Options

You know I like to keep things simple, but if you want to get a little extra fancy with this Salmon and Kale Salad, or just happen to have some extra ingredients that need to be used up, here are some other ingredients that would match the flavor profile:

Hard boiled egg
Avocado
Croutons or toasted pita
Blistered tomatoes (see the technique in this Parsley Pesto Pasta recipe)
Spinach in place of kale
Pasta (orzo, couscous, bowtie) or quinoa
Feta
Tuna in place of the salmon
Or skip the greens all together and make it just a salmon and bean salad, like this Tuna and White Bean Salad

Close up of Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad on a plate with a black fork

How to Store This Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad for Meal Prep

This salad is a natural for meal prep. Kale holds up super well in the fridge, as do beans, canned salmon, and this dressing. I think the entire salad assembled, minus the dressing, would hold up flawlessly in the refrigerator for four or five days. The only reason I suggest leaving the dressing separate is so that it doesn’t get absorbed by the beans and turn dry.

Why Canned Salmon?

I love using canned salmon because it’s shelf stable and doesn’t require any prep, so you can keep it on hand for last minute meals. That being said, you can use fresh cooked salmon, or even smoked salmon in this recipe as well.

Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad

This super simple Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad is a fast, convenient, and filling lunch for hot summer days when it’s too hot to cook.

Keyword: cold lunch, Healthy Lunch, Lunch Meal Prep

Total Cost: $6.82 recipe / $2.27 serving

Author: Beth M

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 0 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

Servings: 3

Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing

1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
1/4 tsp onion powder ($0.02)
1/2 tsp dried dill ($0.05)
1/2 tsp dried parsley ($0.05)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
1/4 cup tahini ($0.75)
1/4 cup warm water ($0.00)
3 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.09)

Salad

6 oz. chopped kale (1/2 of a 12oz. bag) ($1.60)
1 15oz. can cannellini beans ($0.49)
1 6oz. can salmon ($3.59)
1/4 red onion ($0.11)

First, make the Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, dried parsley, salt, some freshly cracked pepper, tahini, warm water, and lemon juice to a bowl and whisk or stir until smooth.
Wash and finely chop the kale. Rinse and drain the can of cannellini beans. Drain the canned salmon. Thinly slice the red onion. If red onion tends to be too strong for you, soak them for a few minutes in ice water to mellow them out.
To build the salad, fill each bowl with a couple large handfuls of the chopped kale. Top with 1/3 of the cannellini beans, 1/3 of the canned salmon, and a few slices of red onion. Drizzle the Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing over top and enjoy!

What about that leftover red onion? Make these quick pickled red onions! They’re great on sandwiches, nachos, tacos, salads, and more.

Close up of a forkful of Lemon Dill Salmon and Kale Salad with the salad bowl in the background

Step by Step Photos

Smoothed out Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing, stirred with a red spatula.

Make the Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing first. In a bowl, stir together 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill), 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup warm water, and 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Stir until the dressing is smooth.

Finely chopped kale

Wash and finely chop about 6 oz. of kale. I don’t expect anyone to weigh out their kale, and it’s a bit difficult to accurately measure the volume of something like kale. Instead I just estimated half of the 12oz. bag of kale that I had purchased. This ingredient is very flexible and the amount is not critical to the recipe, so if you’re still unsure about how much to use, just chop as much as you’d like to fill your bowl(s).

Sliced Red onion in ice water

Thinly slice about 1/4 of a red onion. If red onion is a bit too strong for you, soaking it for about 5 minutes in ice water really helps mellow it out.

Wild Planet Canned Salmon container held close to the camera

This is the canned salmon I’ve been using. Since canned salmon can be a bit pricier and it’s shelf stable, I stock up when it goes on sale!

Building the salmon and kale salad with drained beans and canned salmon on the side.

Rinse and drain one 15oz. can of cannellini beans and drain one 6oz. can of salmon. To build the salads, just fill your bowl with the desired amount of kale, add 1/3 of the beans, 1/3 of the salmon, and a few slices of red onion.

Lemon Dill Tahini Dressing being drizzled over a salmon and kale salad