Smoked Salmon Salad with Beetroot, Herbs & a Squeeze of Lemon

There are days in Andalucía when the temperature climbs past 35°C before noon and the only sensible answer is a smoked salmon salad. No hob, no oven, no heat. Just a large plate, good ingredients, and fifteen minutes in the shade.

This is the summer salad with smoked salmon I made on the Casa Adora roof terrace on a June afternoon in 2013, and it has barely changed since. The smoked salmon forms the base, but the beauty of it is flexibility. Smoked trout works just as well. So does tinned mackerel, drained and flaked. What matters is the layering: building up from the base so every forkful catches something different.

How to Make a Smoked Salmon Salad with Beetroot on a Hot Day

Start with the lambs lettuce spread across a large plate. It forms the foundation and stops everything sliding. Lay the smoked salmon around the edge, then scatter the beetroot, tomato wedges, and grated carrot and courgette across the middle. Add the red onion rings, radishes, and cornichons. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the centre; they anchor the whole thing visually and pack a punch of concentrated flavour. Halve the hard-boiled egg and tuck it in alongside. Finish with a generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and plenty of black pepper.

Serve immediately. This is not a salad that sits around waiting.

Serves: 1 Time: 15 minutes, no cooking

Ingredients

• A large handful of lambs lettuce
• 80–100g smoked salmon (or smoked trout, or tinned mackerel)
• 1 small tomato, cut into wedges
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 1 small cooked beetroot, sliced
• 2 tbsp grated courgette
• 2 tbsp grated carrot
• 3 sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 radishes, sliced
• 4 cornichons
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• A handful of flat-leaf parsley
• ½ lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Black pepper

Method

1. Make the base: Spread the lambs lettuce across a large serving plate.
2. Add the salmon: Arrange the smoked salmon around the outer edge of the plate.
3. Scatter the vegetables: Scatter the beetroot, tomato wedges, grated carrot and courgette across the centre.
4. Add the sharp bits: Add the red onion rings, radishes and cornichons.
5. Anchor the plate: Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the centre and tuck in the halved hard-boiled egg.
6. Finish: Add the flat-leaf parsley, a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and plenty of black pepper.
7. Serve: Take it to the table immediately.

Smoked Trout or Tinned Mackerel Instead

Smoked trout is a straight swap and gives a slightly milder, flakier salad. Tinned mackerel, drained and flaked, makes it more robust; there are plenty more ideas in my tinned mackerel recipes.

More Smoked Salmon Ideas

For more ways with smoked salmon, from a quick pâté to a Christmas starter, see my smoked salmon recipes.

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Footnote

This smoked salmon salad is part of my Smoked Salmon Recipes collection and my Inland Fish and Seafood hub, a collection of resourceful ways to prepare the sea's bounty from the heart of rural Spain.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef