Celebration Salmon Salad with 999 Island Dressing

Name: Celebration Salmon Salad with 999 Island Dressing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Salad
Ingredients: ½ cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons ketchup; 1 ½ tablespoons white onion, minced; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon hot sauce; 1 garlic clove, pressed; 1 dash Worcestershire sauce; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt; ¼ cup cornichons, finely chopped; 1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped; 1 ½ pounds salmon, cut into small 3-ounce fillets about 1 ½-inches wide; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional if needed; 6 cups your favorite greens; 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; ¾ cup pepperoncini; ¾ cup cucumbers, sliced into ¼- inch pieces; Marinated Red Onions and oil; 1/3 cup Niçoise olives; 2 avocados, sliced; 1-2 ounces microgreens, optional

posted by Teri Turner on Mar 19, 2025 5 comments »

Jump To Recipe 2 reviews

Make this Celebration Salmon Salad for your next dinner party. It’s the perfect meal and a beautiful platter that everyone will enjoy.

a photo of salmon salad on a platter with dressing and serving utensils on the side

Table of Contents

A Note from Teri About Salmon Salad

I like to call this salmon salad a celebration salad because it feels so festive and special. A beautiful large platter with all of your delicious ingredients is basically a showstopper at any dinner party. The best part is people can take exactly what they want and leave what they don’t want, so there is always something for everyone.

I love doing a chopped or tossed salad, like my Apple Salad with Yogurt Dressing, my Pomegranate Salad or any of my Sunday Salad variations, but there is something extra special about a beautiful spread like this salmon salad.

The best part about a salad like this is you can absolutely customize your ingredients and flavor. I love making my 999 Island Dressing, which is a fun homemade twist on thousand island dressing. Thousand island dressing is similar to Russian dressing, because they both use a base of ketchup and mayo, but thousand island tends to be sweeter, while Russian dressing has a bit of a kick from horseradish. If you want to try another dressing with this salmon salad recipe, my Charred Scallion dressing is also a delicious choice.

This celebration salmon salad is pretty much the perfect thing to serve in the Spring or bring to a potluck. If you are serving a larger group, do everything in advance, including the dressing, then prepare the fish right before serving or before you leave. I love to bring my ingredients in jars because it’s just a beautiful way to store your food, then it’s very easy to assemble when you arrive. My Teri tip is to cook a bit of extra fish for yourself to have in the fridge. I always love having a little extra protein ready to go that I can easily grab and enjoy in the following couple of days.

Ingredients

For the Dressing:

Mayonnaise
Ketchup
White onion, minced
Fresh lemon juice
Apple cider vinegar
Hot sauce
Garlic clove, pressed
Worcestershire sauce
Black pepper
Kosher salt
Cornichons, finely chopped
Hard-boiled egg, finely chopped

a photo of the ingredients for celebration salmon salad

For the Salad:

Salmon, cut into small 3-ounce fillets about 1 ½-inches wide
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Your favorite greens, such as romaine lettuce and arugula
Cherry tomatoes
Pepperoncini
Cucumbers
Marinated Red Onions and oil
Niçoise olives
Avocados, sliced
Microgreens, optional

Variations

In my 999 dressing ingredients, I love using the old-school method of incorporating a hard boiled egg, but you can skip it if you prefer.

I used nicoise olives in my salad, but you could certainly substitute your favorites. Kalamata olives would also be nice. If you’re looking to add a bit of cheese to your salad, feta cheese could be a fun addition.

Creamy mayonnaise and seasonings in food processor bowl, ready for blending, on rustic wooden surface.

Scrambled eggs with shredded cheese in a glass bowl, on a rustic wooden surface.

How to Make Celebration Salmon Salad

Step 1: Make the Dressing

Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, white onion, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and salt to a food processor, blender, or jar with an immersion blender and blend well until all ingredients are combined.

Mix in the cornichons and egg until fully incorporated. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Salmon fillets cooking in a skillet with butter and black pepper, highlighting healthy seafood recipe options.

Grilled salmon fillets on a wooden cutting board, ready for cooking or serving.

Step 2: Cook the Salmon

Season the salmon fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium heat and place salmon skin-side down in the pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan and cook the fillets in batches if they don’t all fit it at once. Cook about 2 minutes and then flip. Cook another minute or so then remove to a plate. Wipe out the pan and repeat with remaining salmon filets, adding a drizzle more oil if needed.

Fresh grilled salmon salad with mixed greens and arugula, healthy seafood meal, nutritious and delicious.

a photo of the salmon salad on a platter with dressing next to it

Step 3: Assemble the Salad

On one side of a large serving platter, arrange the greens. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with Marinated Onion oil.

Place the salmon fillets on the other side of the platter then create different sections of cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, cucumbers, olives, avocados, and microgreens around the salmon fillets so that it looks beautiful. Drizzle everything with more Marinated Onion oil and sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Finish the platter with some Marinated Onions.

Serve with 999 Island Dressing on the side in a small bowl and allow eaters to build their own plate.

an individual serving of salmon salad on a plate with a fork and napkin next to it

Storage

Be sure to store your ingredients separately. I love to store them in jars in the fridge until I am ready to use them and I can assemble everything in the dish together.

Leftover dressing will be good for about four days after making it, but I doubt it will last that long because it is so delicious.

Try These Other Salmon Recipes

If you make your own Celebration Salmon Salad, be sure to review it below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!