What to serve with salmon pasta salad?

This salad is a complete meal that can be served on its own for lunch or dinner. Or you can serve it with fresh cut up fruit, a veggie and dip platter, sandwiches, corn on the cob or with grilled foods. Also makes a delicious addition to any cookout, picnic or potluck spread.

What kind of canned salmon should I use?

Any type you like is fine! I prefer to use skinless & boneless canned salmon in this recipe.

Can fresh salmon be used instead of canned?

Absolutely! This salad is also a great way to use up leftover cooked salmon. Grilled, poached, baked, pan fried - any cooking method is fine. Just flake it up and use in place of the canned salmon.

Is it meal prep friendly?

This salad is an excellent meal prep lunch or dinner option. However, it will naturally absorb some dressing when stored in the fridge for more than a few hours. To keep it creamy, set some of the dressing aside to mix through right before serving (or mix through some extra mayo). This pasta salad is also a great way to use up typical meal prep ingredients like hard boiled eggs and cooked salmon.

Salmon Asparagus Pasta Salad

Description

Creamy Salmon Asparagus Pasta Salad! Loaded with fresh asparagus, canned salmon (or fresh!), hard boiled eggs and pasta all tossed together in a creamy lemon dill dressing. This recipe is absolutely delicious, easy to make and sure to become a new spring/summer fave!

Ingredients

Scale

For The Salad:

1 pound uncooked short-cut pasta (e.g. rotini, macaroni, orecchiette, farfalle, etc.)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 or 3 (5 –6 ounce) cans of salmon, drained
4 hard boiled eggs, diced
1/2 cup sliced green onions

For The Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Cook pasta and asparagus: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding in the asparagus 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water until the pasta is cooled. Drain well and set aside.
Make dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined.
Assemble and serve: Transfer the cooled pasta and asparagus to a large bowl along with the salmon, hard boiled eggs and green onion. Pour over the dressing and toss until well combined. Adjust seasonings to taste and eat immediately or refrigerate for 30-60 minutes first to help the flavors meld together.

Notes

Salmon: I prefer to use skinless and boneless canned wild salmon in this recipe but any type you like works. Instead of canned salmon, you can also use leftover cooked salmon. Great way to repurpose leftovers!
Lemon Zest Tip: It’s much easier to zest the lemon before juicing it. I like to use a microplane zester grater. Make sure to grate off only the yellow part of the peel (the white part is bitter).
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Make Ahead: If you want to make this recipe more than a couple hours in advance, I recommend prepping the salad components and the dressing separately and then tossing together before serving. Otherwise the pasta will soak up the dressing and it won’t be as creamy. Another option is to set some of the dressing aside or mix through some extra mayo before serving.