Mike has been on a real salmon kick lately, and I’m not going to complain since it’s better than him being on a lamb (ugh…lamb is not my favorite), chicken wing, or rice-with-every-meal kick (again). Our favorite way to eat salmon is poached in salted water with onion, garlic, dill, bay, and peppercorn. Cooked this way, we eat our salmon with a little drizzle of olive oil on top, usually with sides like asparagus and wild rice. This meal is fantastic, being both delicious and healthy, but even so, variety is the spice of life and one night I wanted to switch it up a little.
I looked in my pantry and found what I think is the cutest little pasta shape ever (campanelle!), and the idea of salmon salad immediately came to mind. I replaced half the mayo with Greek yogurt (but sour cream would work just as well) and then since it reminded me a little bit of lox and cream cheese, I added other ingredients that are normally found with this pair, like red onion and capers.
If you’re like us eat a lot of salmon and are looking for new ways to make it, this recipe is a nice change from the ordinary.
Poached Salmon Pasta Salad
(Yield: Serves about 6 as a side dish)
8 oz (1/2 lb) small pasta, any shape you like (I used campanelle)
2 c chopped fresh broccoli
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, cracked
1 1/2 TB minced fresh dill (or 1 1/2 tsp dried dill), divided
1 bay leaf
8 oz (1/2 lb) salmon fillets
1 small red onion, minced
1 TB capers, drained, rinsed to remove excess salt, and chopped
1/2 to 2/3 c Greek yogurt or sour cream (more or less, depending on how creamy you like it)
1/2 to 2/3 c mayo (more or less, depending on how creamy you like it)
1 TB lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 TB minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Black sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to cook along with pasta; drain and cool completely.
Put yellow onion, garlic, 1/2 TB minced fresh dill (or 1/2 tsp dried dill), bay leaf, and a pinch each of salt and pepper (or a few whole peppercorns) in a small skillet with a lid. Add enough water to coat the bottom of the skillet by about 1 inch. Bring water up to a gentle boil; add salmon and turn heat down to a gentle simmer. Cover skillet and cook until salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork (about 5 minutes), being careful not to overcook. Transfer salmon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain water; cool, then cut into whatever size pieces you want (you can flake it with a fork, but I just cut it into large chunks since it flakes a bit when you toss the salad anyway).
In a large bowl, combine remaining 1 TB minced fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried dill), red onion, capers, mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, parsley, 1/3 tsp salt, and a 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir in pasta and broccoli, and then fold in salmon. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Chill and sprinkle black sesame seeds on top before serving.
Cute Campanelle Pasta
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Faith, this is a wonderful way of cooking salmon. We generally grill or cook it in oven, never tried your way before. Sounds easy and more healthy. I love the combination of salmon with veggies and pasta, absolutely a winner! And never seen campanelle pasta before, they look so cute! Please send some to Turkey:)
I love pasta salads and I don’t get to make them very often because my picky son doesn’t like them. This one looks beautiful. I would accompany it with freshly made bread.
hi Faith
now that is an excellent use of salmon! I love those little pasta shapes too. I have been using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream when ever possible, so that sounds great to me!
We just don’t eat enough salmon so finding new ways to serve it is always helpful!
thanks for the inspiration!
Dennis
Hi there,love your blog.
Would it be alright if I promote your blog or mention it in mine?I happen to love dinning, tasting new cuisines..and ur blog has my mouth waterrryyy.keep it up
Best wishes,
Safira
Yum! I like the idea of salmon in there—this looks great!
I love salmon!!! It is my favorite fish and this salad looks fantastic.
Love that cute pasta. this poached salmon pasta looks delicious.
I am always on a salmon kick & would love to have this pasta salad tucked away in our fridge for dinner tonight. Liking the idea of the greek yogurt mixed in too! xo
Cute pasta! That salad is mouthwatering.
Cheers,
Rosa
Hi Faith,
I’m not a lamb eater either, hubby loves it though. I dislike it so much that I cannot even stand the smell of it. We do eat salmon a lot though and this would be a great change of for us to prepare it this way. I have not seen those pasta before, they are so cute and beautiful at the same time. Hope you’re having a lovely weekend with hubby.
I have some Salmon fillets in freezer and I’m going to try this tasty salad recipe!:)
I love, love, love poached salmon… It really lets you taste the fish… It doesn’t taste like a grill or a marinade or a seasoning… It tastes like SALMON and I love the idea of this pasta salad… Very nordic
My husband just mentioned tonight that he was wanting some salmon so I’ll have to show him this. It sounds delicious!
campanelle pasta is definitely so cute, and your salad with poached salmon looks terrific! I like the dill and the capers and the black sesame seeds here, very nice!
Fun pasta shape! That salad looks delicious. I should know better than to peek in late at night, now I’m starving! Wish I had some of that salad!
Cool! Salmon in a pasta salad. I love it.
I love seafood and pasta combos.This salad looks utterly delicious.I have to try this soon.And yes..love the cute shape of that pasta.
This pasta salad looks awesome. A great way of using salmon!!
I’ve never seen that shape of pasta before but it looks very cute indeed! And yes salmon is a great addiction to have :)
That’s such a cute pasta. I’ll have to look for it! With four of us, I can’t really cater to one person wanting the same food, like a salmon kick, but lucky Mike that you can!
That is a great shape, Faith! I don’t think I’ve ever seen it (although there are hundreds of them, aren’t there?). The pasta looks creamy good… I often use buttermilk and mayo or yogurt and mayo to get extra cream without all that fat. I love all the great things you add in there… like capers!!! Yummy photo too!
That IS cute pasta! And a super way to serve salmon, one of my favorites too. Sometimes I get creative with it, other times I just like it broiled with lemon.
Oh my!! This WILL be featured in my kitchen within the next few weeks. I love salmon, and when you said it reminded you of lox and cream cheese, I was SOLD!!
I love salmon also but I’ve definitely never thought to put it in pasta salad! Cool beans. And those pasta shapes. So cute.
I adore salmon, and I will have to try this past salad!
That’s the cutest pasta shapes I’ve ever seen! I love salmon, this looks delicious! So great for lunch – LOVE it :)
My husband and I have decided we need to eat more salmon so I’m definitely looking for more ways to eat it! This looks great and I added it to my “recipes to try” page, thanks!
This looks so delicious, Faith! Perfect for our summer over here…
Pasta & salmon go together so beautifully, so this ones a win for me :)
Oh that pasta is superrrr cuteeee Faith , i have never seen it anywhere babe, but am going to look for it!
I agree , salmon is super healthy , we dont get this salmon as often here , but we do get some other really fresh fish , which we have a min of 3-4 times a week , atleast at lunch!
And ur salad is fantastic ,garlic , dill and yogurt are great combis , we do make veggy salads with yogurt pretty often too!
Faith, that salad looks delicious! I’m all over that …
I love salmon pasta salad with dill but you’ve really made this one extra special! Your additions sound delicious and the pasta shape is adorable.
I would have never thought of a salmon pasta salad, I think it’s a great idea for something a little different. I would like to try this with grilled or poached tuna. Thanks for the idea and have a nice week;-)
This would be a terrific light dinner! It’s almost Spring here with temps in the 70’s and I’m already tired of the heavy foods. This has Spring written all over it!
This sounds amazing. What a creative way to use salmon. That is one impressive and delicious looking pasta salad. I love that curly pasta too:) I have never seen that;I will have to keep my eye out for it.
YUM! I think this would be perfect for lunches next week! I am always trying to find new ways to eat more fish!
We both looooooove salmon so this will go down well in this house. We both prefer wild salmon though which is so much more difficult to get than farmed salmon. Diane
I absolutely love salmon and have been trying to incorporate more of it into my diet. However, I don’t always have ideas for it. This is a beautiful dish, and one that I would love to try soon! Thanks for sharing, Faith.
Oh that pasta it adorable! And the salad sounds amazing, I could do a salmon kick too. Love the lox combo too.
I have to make salmon like this as soon as I can. I usually bake mine, but this poaching method sounds amazing.
I’m always on a salmon kick – crave it at least once a week, so always looking for new recipes! Will be posting one later this week :) Love the creamy greek yogurt and dill with the cute campanelle pasta. Have a fantastic week, Faith!
You’re right, that pasta shape is adorable!! This looks like a great alternative to the boring tuna pasta salad that I’ve seen before! Definitely fresher and more flavorful :)
Ben’s on a tuna kick. I like salmon better!
I love the easiness of poached salmon and it surely makes delicious salads like this one!
That pasta shape is sooooooooooooo beautiful!!!
DOn\’t you just love being the Kitchen Miracle Queen? Everytime I create a yummy novel recipe, I am so excited. I do write it down. We have a few family favourites created the same way that you have created this, Faith. They are just so good, that they need to be recored and remade. Bravo to you. I know I would love the flavours in this salad.
:)
Valerie
Those pasta are so cute…very hearty looking pasta salad and love the yogurt add :)
this looks absolutely delicious! i cant wait to try this one out. thanks for sharing.
I love salmon but usually bake it. I think I’d like to try your poaching method…
How refreshing and delicious! I’ll have to try this once the weather warms up a bit!
That looks absolutely positively luscious and worth a second helping. ;)
Artie would love this salad!
how lovely. great textures and salmon is always a good way to go! :)
Thank you for your tangy salad recipe. I made it tonight and my hubby loves it so much.