This Salmon Caesar Salad elevates the classic with perfectly seared, herb-rubbed fillets atop crisp romaine. It’s a complete, restaurant-worthy meal that’s surprisingly simple to pull off. The warm salmon and creamy homemade dressing create an irresistible contrast of textures and temperatures.

Why You’ll Love This Salmon Caesar Salad

• Complete meal: Hearty salmon turns a side salad into a satisfying main.
• Flavor & texture contrast: Warm, flaky fish meets cold, crunchy greens.
• Deceptively simple: Looks fancy but comes together in minutes.
• Endlessly customizable: Easy to adapt with your favorite add-ins.

Ingredients & Tools

• 2 salmon fillets (about 150-180 g each), skin on or off
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 2 large heads of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 cup croutons (homemade or store-bought)
• For the Dressing:
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• To taste salt and black pepper

Tools: A good chef’s knife, a medium mixing bowl, a whisk, a large skillet (preferably cast-iron), and a large serving bowl.

Notes: Use high-quality parmesan and extra virgin olive oil for best flavor. Don’t skip the anchovies—they provide essential umami depth.

Nutrition (per serving)

Serves: 2 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Get your salmon to room temperature. This is a small but crucial step for even cooking. Taking the salmon out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before you plan to cook it ensures the center cooks through perfectly without the outside becoming dry or overcooked.
• Don’t be scared of the anchovies. I promise you, they will not make your salad taste “fishy.” When mashed into the dressing, they dissolve and create an incredible savory, salty depth that is the very soul of a classic Caesar. If you omit them, you’re just making garlic-parmesan dressing.
• Use the best parmesan you can find. Please, for the love of all that is good, grate it yourself from a block. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can make your dressing a little grainy and it just doesn’t melt into the emulsion as beautifully.
• Chill your serving bowls. This is a tiny pro-move that makes a big difference. Tossing your crisp romaine in a cold bowl helps it stay fresh and crunchy for longer, especially when you add the warm salmon on top.

How to Make Salmon Caesar Salad

Storage & Freshness Guide

• Fridge: Store undressed salad and salmon separately for up to 1 day.
• Freezer: Not recommended for assembled salad; cooked salmon freezes well for up to 1 month.
• Reviving: Serve salmon cold or gently reheated; dress greens just before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• Garlic Breadsticks — There’s no better vehicle for scooping up the last bits of that glorious Caesar dressing. Their warm, soft, and garlicky flavor is the perfect carb-y companion to the rich salad.
• Roasted Asparagus — A simple side of asparagus roasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper adds a lovely green element and a different, tender-crisp texture that complements the meal beautifully.
• A Charcuterie Board to Start — If you’re entertaining, a small board with some cured meats, olives, and cornichons sets a sophisticated tone and keeps guests happy while you put the final touches on the salad.

Drinks

• A Crisp Sauvignon Blanc — The high acidity and citrus notes in a good Sauvignon Blanc cut through the richness of the dressing and salmon perfectly, cleansing the palate with every sip.
• Sparkling Water with Lemon — For a non-alcoholic option, the effervescence is incredibly refreshing against the creamy, savory elements of the dish, and the lemon wedge echoes the citrus in the dressing.
• A Classic Gin & Tonic — The botanical notes from the gin and the bitter quinine from the tonic provide a complex and refreshing contrast that stands up wonderfully to the bold flavors on the plate.

Something Sweet

• Lemon Sorbet — A scoop of bright, tart, and clean lemon sorbet is the ultimate palate-cleanser after a rich meal. It’s light, refreshing, and feels like a perfect, elegant ending.
• Dark Chocolate Espresso Beans — Just a few of these provide a little hit of bitter-sweetness and a caffeine kick that rounds off the dinner without feeling too heavy or sweet.
• Panna Cotta with a Berry Compote — The silky, delicate texture of panna cotta is a dream after the textural party of the salad, and the sweet-tart berry compote adds a beautiful pop of color and flavor.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Dressing the salad too early. Romaine lettuce is full of water, and as soon as it hits the salt and acid in the dressing, it starts to wilt. Always dress your salad at the very last second before serving to maintain that perfect crunch.
• Mistake: Moving the salmon too soon in the pan. I know it’s tempting to poke and prod, but you have to let that beautiful crust form. If you try to flip it before it’s ready, it will stick and tear. Let the pan and the fish do their thing—it will release naturally when a crust has formed.
• Mistake: Overcooking the salmon. Salmon continues to cook from residual heat even after you take it out of the pan. The trick is to pull it off the heat when it’s still a touch underdone in the very center. By the time it gets to the table, it will be perfectly moist and flaky.
• Mistake: Skipping the step of mashing the anchovies and garlic. If you just whisk them in whole, you’ll get uneven, overpowering bites. Taking the extra 60 seconds to mash them into a paste ensures the flavor is seamlessly integrated throughout the entire dressing.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Use the salmon skin to your advantage. If you cook the salmon skin-on, press it down gently for the first 30 seconds in the hot pan. This renders the fat and can make the skin incredibly crispy—a delicious textural bonus that you can either eat or discard after cooking.
• Tip: Make your own croutons in the salmon pan. After you’ve cooked the salmon, there will be delicious, herby, rendered fat in the pan. Toss in some cubed stale bread and toast them in that flavorful fat for the most incredible, savory croutons you’ve ever tasted.
• Tip: For a smoother dressing, use a microplane. If you want an ultra-silky, restaurant-style dressing, use a microplane to grate the garlic into a paste instead of mincing it. It completely eliminates any chance of a sharp, raw garlic chunk.
• Tip: Let the dressed lettuce “rest” for a minute. After you toss the lettuce with the dressing, let it sit for just 60 seconds before plating. This allows the leaves to soften ever so slightly and really absorb the flavors, making for a more cohesive bite.

FAQs

Can I make the dressing ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prepare the Caesar dressing up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The olive oil may solidify a bit when cold, so just let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes and give it a good whisk or shake before using. The flavors actually meld and improve over time, so this is a fantastic time-saver.

I’m worried about raw egg. What can I use instead?
This is a very common concern. For a completely cooked alternative, you can use mayonnaise as the base for your dressing—it’s already an emulsion of egg and oil. Start with about 1/4 cup of good-quality mayo and thin it out with the lemon juice and a tablespoon of water to get the right consistency, then add the rest of your flavorings.

What’s the best way to reheat leftover salmon for this salad?
Honestly, I don’t recommend reheating the salmon as it can easily become dry. If you have leftovers, I’d suggest flaking the cold salmon over a freshly dressed salad. The cold salmon is still delicious and makes for a different, but equally tasty, lunch the next day. If you must reheat, do it very gently in a low oven (around 150°C/300°F) for just a few minutes.

Can I use a different type of lettuce?
You can, but the texture will change. Romaine and Little Gem are the classics for a reason—they’re sturdy and crisp enough to hold up to the heavy dressing. If you use a softer lettuce like butter lettuce or spring mix, it will wilt almost instantly. Kale is a great, sturdy alternative if you massage it with a bit of the dressing first to soften it.

My dressing “broke” and looks oily. How can I fix it?
Don’t panic! A broken emulsion is an easy fix. Simply take a clean bowl, add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard or a little bit of water, and then very slowly whisk in the broken dressing. The new base will help re-emulsify the oil. It happens to the best of us, usually when we add the oil too quickly.