Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Salad with Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing
This is one of those “accidental” recipes that ended up being one of the best things I’ve ever made. Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Salad is perfect for the summer and a GREAT way to use up leftover cold salmon (although next time, I’ll be making extra salmon to have leftover on purpose just so I can make it again). And the dressing! I want to put this dressing on everything. It’s the perfect balance of tangy and salty while still being smooth and mellow. It goes perfectly with the peppery arugula- and it has a secret ingredient that helps emulsify it and make it creamy with NO dairy!
Really, if I’m being honest, the star of this recipe is the dressing. And the secret ingredient? Nothing more than a teeny little dollop of mayo! Adding a bit of mayonnaise (about a teaspoon for this recipe for two salads) to any oil/vinegar dressing will help emulsify the ingredients, so the oil and vinegar don’t separate. In the case of this dressing, lemon juice is used instead of vinegar, but it separates in a similar way. Try it with a balsamic vinaigrette, or a simple red wine vinegar/olive oil mixture. I picked this tip up from my cousin, who made a dressing with a bit of mayo, some fresh dill, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil a few Christmases ago.
I like to make the dressing before assembling the salad to let the flavors marry a bit. Just whisk together the mayo, lemon juice, kosher salt, and a bit of fresh minced garlic (just a little- you don’t want to overpower the dressing with raw garlic flavor). While whisking, gradually add olive oil. Whisk vigorously until the dressing is a uniform, creamy consistency. Test it out and make sure there’s enough salt- and try not to lick the entire bowl before making the salad!
Next, build your salad. I often use this dressing on a simple arugula salad with nothing else as a side- arugula has such a unique flavor that it stands on its own quite well. Next time you need a simple side for a meal, try it out. THIS salad is a whole meal, and includes arugula, goat cheese, and cold cooked salmon, which flakes into perfect salad pieces with a fork. It’s perfection.
Hate mayo? Don’t worry- you can make this dressing without it. Just make sure you give it a vigorous whisk right before drizzling onto the salad, as the ingredients will tend to separate a bit more.
How to cook salmon for this salad
This recipe was developed with leftover cooked salmon in mind, so you can use any salmon you already made for this salad. I used leftovers from this Seared Salmon with Scallion Butter.
If you want to cook salmon specifically to have with this salad, I 100% approve! It’s so delicious, why not! Keep it simple – just season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the salmon skin-side up (if you are using skin-on salmon) in the skillet for about 5 minutes, then flip it over and cook for a few more minutes until it’s fully cooked. This will depend on the thickness of the fish. It will be fully cooked when you can flake it apart easily with a fork. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, but most chefs aim for 125-135 degrees F.
Love salmon? Try these other easy recipes:
- Garlic Butter Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies
- 15-Minute Perfect Poached Salmon with Chive Butter
- Orange Glazed Salmon
- Salmon, Arugula, and Feta Frittata
- One-Pan Garlic Butter Salmon and Swiss Chard
- Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
- Seared Salmon with Scallion Butter
- Seared Salmon with Avocado, Lemon, and Garlic Aioli
- Garlic Poached Salmon with Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce
Recipe below! The portions are for 2 entree salads, or 4 appetizer/first course salads. A word to the wise: the proportions are VERY forgiving in both the recipe and the salad. It’s foolproof. Don’t go crazy measuring things exactly, and make sure you test the dressing to see if it has enough salt, or if it tastes too acidic just add more olive oil.
Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Salad with Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing
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Ingredients
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small clove garlic minced (or 1/2 of a large one)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. baby arugula (about 2 packed cups)
- 4 oz. cooked salmon
- 2 oz. soft goat cheese (chevre) crumbled
Instructions
- To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, mayonnaise (1 tablespoon), kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon), and minced garlic (1 small clove) in the bottom of a large bowl. Gradually drizzle in olive oil (3 tablespoons) while still whisking. Continue whisking until dressing is a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Add the arugula(4 oz.), cooked salmon (4 oz.), and crumbled goat cheese (2 oz.) to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat.
- Serve on two plates for an entree or four for a side/first course.
Notes
- You can use any simply seasoned leftover salmon you have for this. I used leftovers of this seared salmon with scallion butter.
- If you want to cook salmon to have with this salad and you don’t have leftover salmon, cook it simply with salt and pepper in olive oil in a skillet.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This was delicious! I added some fresh mango chunks (end of summer, last mango from our tree!) toasted pine nuts and finely chopped yellow pepper. Amazing!!
So jealous of your mango tree! Glad to hear you liked the recipe and thanks for sharing your modifications!
I make this almost weekly. The flavor is incredible. Thank you!!
So glad you liked it!
So good! I make it almost every month for my family! I especially love the dressing!
So glad you liked it!
This dressing is amazing!! LOVED it :) Thank you!
So glad you liked it!!
This is a fantastic salad! I added a bit of avocado and capers, not necessary, but I thought they were a nice addition. Thank you!
So happy you liked it! Love the idea of adding avocado and capers.
If prepared ahead of time, how long should this keep in the fridge?
This salad should keep for about 3 days in the fridge- just be sure to not dress it until right before serving.
It looks damn delicious.
I will surely try it tonight;).
Hope you like it!
Just made this wonderful Salmon and Goat Cheese Salad. It is a winner. I was licking the plate. Dressing so delicious!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
How do you cook and season the salmon?
Thanks for asking this – I just updated the post with a suggestion! For this salad, I’d keep it simple, just season with salt and pepper and call it a day. Here, I’ll copy and paste the new section of the post here with this information:
This recipe was developed with leftover cooked salmon in mind, so you can use any salmon you already made for this salad. I used leftovers from this Seared Salmon with Scallion Butter.
If you want to cook salmon specifically to have with this salad, I 100% approve! It’s so delicious, why not! Keep it simple – just season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the salmon skin-side up (if you are using skin-on salmon) in the skillet for about 5 minutes, then flip it over and cook for a few more minutes until it’s fully cooked. This will depend on the thickness of the fish. It will be fully cooked when you can flake it apart easily with a fork. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, but most chefs aim for 125-135 degrees F.