About Canned Salmon…
The 14oz. can of salmon I bought was $3.99 and when you consider the fact that wild caught fresh salmon will probably be at least double that per pound, I think it’s a pretty great deal! It wasn’t too pretty when I first opened the can and it wasn’t exactly pink, but once I broke it up into pieces and removed the skin, it was visually on par with canned tuna. Nothing to look at, but still quite delicious. My particular salmon came “with skin and bones”, so I just scraped off the skin (but you can eat it if you want) and removed any large bones. Most of the bones were hair thin and quite soft (probably gelatinized by the canning process) and were therefor quite edible. Full of dietary calcium, even!Can I Substitute the Kale?
Yes, you can make this salad with Romaine or even spinach, if you’d like, just keep in mind that neither will hold up to refrigeration as well as the kale.What Kind of Dressing Should I Use?
I used a creamy Caesar dressing for this salad (Girard’s to be exact). You can use a non-creamy caesar dressing, if you prefer, but I find that a creamy version pairs better with this salad.Can I Use a Different Pasta Shape?
Yes, you can use any small or short-shaped pasta, like orzo, penne, or orecchiette. Or, you can skip the pasta and add homemade croutons in its place.
Kale & Salmon Caesar Salad
Kale & Salmon Caesar Salad is a fast, filling, and delicious way to use budget friendly canned salmon.
Servings 4Ingredients
- 8 oz bowtie pasta ($0.75)
- 6 oz chopped kale* ($1.50)
- 14 oz can wild caught salmon ($3.99)
- 2 large hard boiled eggs (optional) ($0.54)
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan ($0.96)
- 1/2 cup (or to taste) creamy Caesar dressing ($1.16)
Instructions
- Cook the bowtie pasta according to the package directions, then drain in a colander.
- Meanwhile, roughly chop the kale into small pieces, removing any large pieces of stem. Place the chopped kale in a bowl. Once the pasta is drained, add it to the kale and stir to let the residual heat slightly wilt the kale.
- Drain the canned salmon and remove the skin and bones (if included), breaking the meat into bite-sized chunks as you go. Peel and dice the hard boiled eggs.
- Add the salmon chunks, diced hard boiled eggs, and shredded Parmesan to the kale and pasta. Drizzle with Caesar dressing, then toss to coat everything in the dressing. Divide into four portions for meal-sized salads, or six smaller side-salad servings.
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Notes
*I used pre-washed and chopped kale that came in a bag, then chopped it further into smaller pieces.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 609.08kcalCarbohydrates: 49.3gProtein: 36.23gFat: 28.88gSodium: 1034.83mgFiber: 3.5g
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Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Kale and Salmon Caesar Salad – Step by Step Photos
Start by cooking 8oz. bowtie pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the kale. I bought a 12oz. bag of kale today because the whole bunches were a little on the expensive side and this one bag for $2.99 is roughly the same as one and half bunches, plus it’s already chopped and stems removed! :D I used half of this bag, or about 6 ounces.
Because I was leaving my kale raw, I wanted even smaller pieces to make it easy to chew and digest. So, I chopped it up a bit more and pulled out any random pieces of stems that got left behind.
Once the pasta is drained, add it to a large bowl with the chopped kale. Stir it up and allow the residual heat from the pasta to soften the kale just a touch.
Peel and dice two hard boiled eggs.
This is the canned salmon that I used. I was happy to be able to find wild caught canned salmon. Honestly, it wasn’t pretty when I opened the can and you should be thankful I didn’t take a photo of that part…
But once I scraped off the dark skin, removed any large bones, and broke it into chunks, it pretty much just looked like tuna. Not very pink, but it still tasted great! This 14oz. can of salmon actually yielded quite a bit of meat, so next time I might go for the smaller can and use one more egg to make the salad even less expensive. Gotta tweak those ratios sometimes.
I really wanted shredded Parmesan for this salad instead of grated, although grated will work if that’s what you have. I find the shredded to be a bit more potent in flavor and it makes a striking visual presence on the salad. Finding shredded Parm with the bagged cheese was a great because it was about half the price of the shredded Parmesan at the cheese counter. So, be sure to check both places.
Now it’s time to build the salad. If you’re doing it all in one large bowl, just add the diced eggs, salmon pieces, and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan to the pasta and kale.
Finally, add some creamy Caesar dressing (I used about 1/2 cup for the entire salad) and stir to coat in the dressing.
Now EAT! And be happy.
Kale & Salmon Caesar Salad – FANCY!
I love salmon patties, especially if they have chopped red peppers and chopped green onions in them. I keep Cracker Barrel in business when they have their salmon patties on special.
I like good, old fashioned salmon loaf. Salmon salad (replacing salmon with tuna) is also pretty tasty.
Fish cakes, quiche, soup — “fish chowder” (carrot, potato, onion, dill, can of salmon, a little cream).
Mmm, looking forward to trying this one!
I eat canned salmon at least once a week, mostly on salad, but I also do a kind of stir fry thing with it. I cook a bunch of veggies in the wok and then add half a can of salmon at the end until heated through. It doesn’t look the prettiest but it’s delicious!
Looks great, I’m excited to try this! I, like others, have only ever used canned salmon to make salmon cakes/patties/burgers, so I’m happy to see a new use for it, especially one with my favorite green! Lately we’ve been making our salmon cakes with cooked quinoa in place of bread crumbs – tastes great, provides extra texture, and helped us feel like we are spicing things up a bit.
I use canned salmon mostly for fish cakes/patties/burgers so this is a good new idea for me. Looks good.
I add a can of salmon to your crust less quiche recipe. Yum!
I’ve never used canned salmon before either, but you’ve definitely inspired me! It seems like a great way to add some additional good things to your diet.
This is a great recipe!
I am in love with kale lately. It is so healthy.
I actually made kale salads for the whole week this morning, before I saw your blog today. I am definitely trying your idea next week for the week’s salads. I like to make salads for lunches to bring to work – about $2 a serving, and salads in NYC are $10 a pop. What a money saver.
I learned a trick today – massage the kale! I added 1 teaspoon of olive oil and juice from half a lemon, and massged the kale for a few minutes. It physically changes as you do this, and makes it easier to chew. It does half the size of the kale, though, so I was surprised that the huge bunch I bought, once massaged, was only 2 meal-sized salads. Give it a try.
My mother gifted a dozen canned salmons to me, and I never thought to add the salmon to the kale salad- thanks! I love the egg and Parmesan addition too.
I am eagerly awaiting canned salmon ideas too! All I could think of was salmon cakes (fry or bake salmon, egg, bread crumbs)- pretty tasty, but I need more ideas.
Thanks again, you rock!
I can’t get down with meat (of any kind) out of a can, and I’m particularly fussy about fish. I’d make this and throw in some cooked fresh salmon though! Or maybe some bbq chicken if I’m feeling a bit lazy ;-)
Good canned salmon tastes and acts just like leftover salmon. Definitely not fishy and processed closer to fresh than most anything one would get at the store.
I’m a fan!
I am so excited that you are taking on canned salmon! I love salmon burgers (my website link takes you directly to my recipe), but I would love to try out some new canned salmon recipes beyond salmon burgers and salmon patties.
I keep a large stock of canned salmon and tuna (www.vitalchoice.com … NOT budget but worth it to me and I subscribe to their emails so get 15-25% off offers and stock up).
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013351-tuna-with-capers-olives-and-lemon this recipe from Melissa Clark is my favorite for both tuna and salmon. I often stretch both with some white beans or chickpeas. I’ll put this mix on top of shredded cabbage or a mix of cabbage and kale or on toast.
My mouth is watering right now!!
Ooooh nice! I eat a lot of canned salmon and I get pretty bored of just dumping it in a salad with just romaine lettuce and celery and quinoa or farro so I’ve definitely gotta try this soon! Thanks for the recipe!
And oh btw, salmon is supposed to be this color. The pink salmon you’re used to has been dyed to look that way.
I thought farmed salmon was supposed to be that colour. All the wild salmon (and I know it was wild because I was there when it was caught) actually was pink, and I’ve read that has to do with what they’ve been eating. So there’s nothing wrong with the colour of the canned salmon. . . I just question whether it’s wild caught like they’re saying it is.
Wild-caught salmon will naturally be very pink because of the diverse diet the salmon get. Only farmed Atlantic salmon meat is dyed, because they are kept in poor conditions and are fed a poor diet. Salmon is NOT supposed to be that color.
Looks yummy! I’m a big fan of canned salmon (probably because of the cheaper cost). My dad eats it plain in sandwiches, but I prefer using it in something like a salmon loaf. I’ll definitely be trying this recipe!