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 can’t find a canned salmon of acceptable quality around here. Could I use tuna for this or would the flavor be too different?
It will be different, but I bet it would be good in its own way. :)
Adapted this with rotisserie chicken. Super fast to make if you just need a dinner or lunch that gives you a nice energy shot.
Just made this for lunch, and it was so quick, easy, and tasty! Looking forward to the leftovers for lunch all week (storing it without the dressing).
I eating this right now. Delicious! I will definitely make this again. Trader Joe’s had baby kale so I used that instead and added a few splashes of lemon juice and black pepper. I also kept the salmon as is, the bones and skin don’t bother me.
We love canned salmon – it’s great for making salmon cakes or croquettes! There are lots of recipes around, but basically add an egg, breadcrumbs, and finely chopped veggies or herbs to canned salmon, then bake in a hot oven or fry in oil until golden.
Love canned Salmon so this sounds good!
A local restaurant here makes a kale caesar salad with smoked salmon as an add-on. It’s soo good, could easily use this option at home even though it is more spendy. However, the flavor is strong so maybe you wouldn’t need as much.
Will definitely have to try this recipe soon. I love canned salmon! Salmon cakes are and delicious to throw together and actually hold in the fridge quite well for leftovers.
I make fish chowder: sautee onions and celery and carrots, add mushrooms, add can of fish stock and can of salmon, maybe some greens, cook til veggies are soft, fish heated through, and then if feeling fancy, I stir whole milk in at the end of the cooking, and serve when it’s heated through. Voila! New England-esque fish chowder
My favorite way to use canned salmon is in a salad with fresh arugula, canned white whites, sliced red onion and a lemon dressing. Perfect refreshing summer dinner.
White beans! Not white whites.
I can’t wait to try this salad! I love canned salmon … usually I make burger-sized salmon patties and bake them instead of frying, serve with rice or quinoa and whatever kind of sauce I’m feeling that day – Alfredo, remoulade, etc. My mama (who is from the Philippines) would saute an onion or two, toss in a can of salmon and a couple of big diced tomatoes, season generously with salt and pepper and serve over rice. Memories …. :)
I made fish cakes with canned salmon once when I was in a dinner pinch (broke as a joke and very little in the pantry) with a can, an egg, some breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper mixed together, then dipped in breadcrumbs and shallow fried. It turned out acceptable enough, but I hope I’m not broke enough again to have to do that! Not a big fan of canned fish, personally. I’ve also thought about subbing it in tuna casserole (one of the only ways I’ll eat canned light tuna, the kind that looks pretty much like cat food).
Canned salmon is awesome on a budget, especially when you can find the cans for $2.99 – Grocery Outlet, sometimes Trader Joe’s, Asian food markets… So many things you can do with that can. I usually keep a couple of cans around – they come in handy. I’ve made cheesy pastas (like white cheddar and shells) with broccoli, salads, not-crab cakes, antipasto … I don’t bother de-skinning/deboning – the whole can just gets drained and dumped into whatever I’m making. Everything’s soft and good for you.
Filipinos have this thing called “ginisa,” where you just sauté whatever (I’ve done this with canned fish, chayote, cabbage…) in garlic, onion, tomato, a little water and a dash of “patis” (fish sauce) and a few cranks of pepper – then serve over steamed rice and call it a day. Nothing fancy (it’s an “everyday” type of food for Filipinos), but easy peasy and gets the job done. :D
I live in Alaska and eat salmon caught by family members at least once a week—fresh, frozen, dried…so I would like to tell the person to wrote to say that all salmon is pink that you have received incorrect information. The color of wild salmon varies wildly, depending on the season (early or late run) and what kind of salmon it is. King, chum and so on are different colors naturally.
You must have been reading my mind, because recently I have been thinking about new ways to use the canned salmon in my pantry!
As of now I either eat it in a salad with chickpeas and a hard boiled egg (if I’m feeling fancy), or with mayo (like tuna fish) and eaten with ritz crackers.
I would love to see a salmon cake recipe!
What Caesar dressing do you use?
Oops, I forgot to mention that! My favorite is Girard’s brand, even the light version is excellent!
Oh a fellow Gerard’s dressing lover. My favorite bottled dressing is Girards Champagne.. it gets raves from dinner guests. It acccctually has no sssssugar or corn syrup..a big plus in making it taste home made
I love their champaign dressing as well!!