High Protein Spinach Salmon Salad with Feta & Almonds

Name: High Protein Spinach Salmon Salad with Feta & Almonds
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 ounce skinless salmon fillet; 1 tablespoon lemon juice (for salmon ); Salt and pepper to season (for salmon and dressing); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 teaspoons lemon juice (for dressing); 3 ounces fresh organic spinach; 1/4 cup red onion, (thinly sliced); 1/4 cup crumbled feta; 1/8 cup toasted slivered almonds

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Loaded with flaky salmon, spinach, feta, and almonds, this protein spinach salmon salad is big on flavor and is a filling lunch or dinner!

Protein Spinach Salmon Salad topped with red onion, feta and slivered almonds.

We had no idea how much we'd love this salmon salad until we devoured it! It's the combination of flavors and textures that take this salmon spinach salad to the next level.

Ingredients include fresh spinach, baked salmon, crumbled feta, toasted almonds, sliced red onions, and a light dressing made with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. It's such a delicious and satisfying meal.

But, just as important, this salmon salad is a nutritional powerhouse. It serves as an excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins A, B and C.

Plus, this high-protein salad is one heck of an easy meal to prepare, and it's done in just 20 minutes. You can also prep this meal ahead of time for a future dinner or a grab-and-go lunch (see instructions further below).

Key Ingredients

Just a few notes on key ingredients!

Wild salmon: For this salad, we recommend getting fresh or previously frozen wild sockeye or coho salmon, which are leaner types of salmon.
Fresh baby spinach: We recommend organic, fresh baby spinach since spinach is protein rich and nutrient dense.
Red onion: We love the flavor of chopped red onion in this salad. That said, you can use whatever onion you have on hand.
Crumbled feta: We use low-fat crumbled feta to increase the protein percentage of this salad. However, you can use regular feta as well.
Toasted, slivered almonds: We buy our slivered, toasted almonds from Trader Joe's. However, you could also use sunflower seeds, pistachios or pumpkin seeds, which are all higher in protein.

How to Make

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or tinfoil. Place salmon on parchment paper and generously season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a tablespoon of lemon juice over the top. Bake for roughly 10 to15 minutes, until salmon reads 145 degrees on thermometer.

STEP 2: In a small bowl, whisk together two tablespoons olive oil, two teaspoons lemon juice, and salt and pepper (lightly season).

Salmon sprinkled with salt and pepper and lemon juice. On a pan and ready to go in oven.

STEP 3: In a large serving bowl, combine spinach, feta, sliced red onions and almonds.

STEP 4: When done, remove salmon from oven. Break salmon into large chunks and spread on top of salad. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Spinach, red onion, feta and almonds in a salad bowl.

Finished salmon spinach salad with spinach and rest of ingredients.

How To Meal Prep This Salmon Salad

To meal prep this salmon salad ahead of time for a dinner or grab and go lunch, you'll do the following:

Bake the salmon as directed in recipe instructions. Let cool to room temperature
In a larger container, combine spinach, sliced onions, feta and almonds. Then, place cooled salmon on top. Cover and refrigerate.
In a small, separate container, combine the salad dressing components including the olive oil, lemon juice and and salt and pepper. Store dressing alongside salad container.
When you’re ready to eat the salad, vigorously shake container with salad dressing (to mix dressing) and pour on top of prepared salad. Gently toss salad ingredients together and enjoy! Serve prepared salad within in 2 days of preparing.

Other Salad Toppings

Of course you can add other delicious toppings to this salad, such as chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, or even steamed edamame.

Just be aware that too many low-protein toppings will lower the protein percentage of the meal, while other toppings will increase it. For example, the low-fat feta, salmon, and spinach all are high in protein, so replacing the feta with another cheese or the spinach with different greens is likely to lower the protein percentage. Likewise increasing the amount of onions is likely to lower the protein percentage as well.

Recipe FAQ

What is a high protein meal?

There is some variation in what percentage is considered "high protein" but generally 20% to 40% can be considered high. To determine protein percentage of a meal, multiply the grams of protein in a meal by 4 and then divide by the total calories. High-protein meals are ideal since they help keep you full for longer periods of times. Therefore, you’re less likely to overeat or snack between meals.

More High Protein Salads

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

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