This Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Vinaigrette is loaded with bright veggies, healthy for you salmon and topped with an herbaceous pistou-based vinaigrette that will have you saying mmmmm with that very first bite!

plate of salad with basil dressing and grilled salmon

Grilled Salmon, Crisp Veggies + Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

I love salmon in all its forms, but when it comes to cooking methods, the grill is my favorite! It cooks so quickly, and then you get that subtle smokiness and the flavor from the caramelization of the grill grates. Dang. So good!

And, it just makes sense to pair this rich fish with a salad of crisp greens and bright vegetables. Throw in some tender baby potatoes (because, carbs), sweet dried apricots for a little balance, tangy goat cheese and this pistou-based basil vinaigrette — your taste buds will be singing!

fresh ingredients of salmon, basil, green beans and tomatoes

Gather Your Supplies + Ingredients

Equipment

A food processor is super handy for blending the ingredients for your pistou, but a traditional blender or stick blender can be used as well.

Two separate saucepans are helpful so you can have the beans and potatoes cooking at the same time.

Ingredients

This is not a side salad. I repeat. This is not a side salad! If you were ordering at a restaurant, this would be listed under ‘Dinner Salads’. It’s got everything you need for a belly filling meal, but at a respectable 495 calories (yay for salads!).

fresh basil
garlic
fresh grated parmesan
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice
center-cut salmon fillets
baby or fingerling potatoes
french beans (or green beans)

mixed greens
dried apricots
cherry tomatoes
goat cheese
red wine vinegar
dijon mustard
kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper

2 plates of salad topped with grilled salmon

The Big Parts of this Grilled Salmon Recipe

What is Pistou Anyway?

To put it simply, it’s the French version of pesto. Traditionally, it’s made with basil, garlic and olive oil, but cheese can be added. The big departure is that it does not include nuts.

To make pistou, place your ingredients directly into the food processor:

De-stem the basil. We only want the leaves.
Mince the garlic or put them through a garlic press.
Grate (or measure) the parmesan.
Add the olive oil and kosher salt.

Let it run for 20 to 30 seconds until all the ingredients are combined. That’s it! Super easy. The pistou is the base for both the salmon marinade and the salad dressing.

Marinate the Salmon: Combine 4 tablespoons of pistou with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Brush this all over the flesh of the salmon. Leave it on the counter while you prepare the cooked veggies. Taking the chill off the salmon will help it cook more evenly on the grill.

Make the Vinaigrette: Combine 2 tablespoons of pistou with olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and salt + pepper.

Boil Some Water

If you have 2 saucepans, that will make this go all the more faster. But first, you want to make an ice bath by combining ice and cold water in a bowl. You’ll want this ready before you boil the beans.

Fill one saucepan with 6 cups of water and put that on high heat. Next, place the baby potatoes in the other pan and fill it with water until the water level is about 1 inch over the potatoes. Set that pan over high heat as well.

For the beans: once the water is boiling, salt the water, then add the beans. Let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes only! Tell Siri to set a timer for you. We’re looking for crisp tender texture. As soon as the time is up, drain the beans and immediately toss them into the ice bath. This will stop the cooking process and leave you with vibrant, green French beans!

For the potatoes: Start your timer for 5 minutes as soon as the water comes to a boil. (Siri can’t run two timers at once, so maybe Alexa can help you out.) Drain the potatoes when done, then tumble them onto your cutting board to cool.

Salmon on the Grill

pistou marinated salmon on a grill — on the hot side

salmon skin side up on a grill — on the cool side

After preheating the grill, set it up for 2-zone cooking: set one side on high heat and the other side on low heat. If you’re using a charcoal grill, achieve this by pushing the coals over to one side.

It’s important to oil the grates just before placing then fish on. Use a wadded up paper towel on the end of a long pair of tongs. Saturate the paper towel with vegetable oil (or other high smoke point oil) and rub it across the grate.

Grill the salmon, skin side down, on the hot side with the lid closed for 6 minutes. If your grill is sufficiently hot, the skin will release when it’s time to flip the fish. After the 6 minutes, oil the cooler side of the grill. Carefully slide a spatula under the skin, move the salmon to the cooler side, and flip it over so the flesh side is down. Close the cover and cook for 2 more minutes. Again, carefully slide the spatula under the fish to remove it from the grill.

Final Thoughts on Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

You may end up with a couple extra tablespoons of pistou. Freeze it to use later or refrigerate it to use in the next day or two:

Marinate some chicken breasts
Toss it with pasta
Drizzle it on homemade pizza
Combine with cooked rice or quinoa for easy basil pilaf
Make a classic Soupe au Pistou

Can you eat the salmon skin? Sure! But, it’s totally ok to peel it off before assembling your salad. Grill the salmon with the skin on, though — it’ll help keep it together while it cooks. You don’t want lose those precious omega-3s between the grates!

Looking for More Seafood or Salad Recipes?