Delicious Cold Salmon Pasta Salad Recipe

Name: Salmon Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 oz. rotini pasta (cooked and drained); 1/2 English cucumber (sliced); 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves; 1/8 cup fresh dill (chopped); fresh lemon juice and/or zest (to taste); 8 oz. cooked salmon; 1 recipe lemon dill vinaigrette

A fresh, light salad with protein-rich salmon, crisp vegetables, a filling pasta base, and bright, flavorful lemon-dill vinaigrette.

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salmon, cucumbers, spinach, and pasta in a serving bowl

This cold pasta salad is fresh and healthy! Our delicious baked salmon pairs perfectly with fresh ingredients and a lemon dill vinaigrette. Perfect for salmon leftovers with salmon, pasta, spinach and the best sauce! This salmon pasta salad is a cross between a cucumber salad and salmon pasta. Perfect for a make ahead meal.

This makes a great weeknight meal. You can use leftovers and even toss it all together in the morning then refrigerate and pull out at dinner time.

two image collage. Top image of large bowl of mixed salmon pasta salad with cucumber salad and spinach next to a small plate with cold pasta salad on it. Next image of salmon leftovers with salmon pasta spinach and cucumbers ready to be tossed. Next image of cold pasta salad dressing drizzled on top of bowl of pasta dish. — Salmon pasta salad is full of fresh and healthy ingredients.

Enjoy this as a full meal with these other recipe:

Protein: Baked Salmon – Make this one night and use the leftovers for the cold pasta salad!
Dressing: Lemon Dill Vinaigrette – This vinaigrette is great on salads, pasta, and as a marinade for fish or chicken.
Bread: Easy Parmesan French Bread – Buy a french bread and dress it up with this delicious spread!
Drink: Red Wine Sangria – This is one of my all time favorite sangria recipes. Use the rest of the wine leftover from your marinara recipe.
Dessert: Chocolate Lasagna – This needs no introduction!

close up of large bowl of salmon pasta with sliced cucumber salad and fresh spinach. Small bowl with lemon vinaigrette next to cold pasta salad. Baked salmon leftovers are on top of the salad.

Table of Contents

What is Cold Pasta Salad?

This is a cross between a pasta salad and a cucumber salad with salmon. We love this cold but you can definitely serve it while the pasta and salmon are warm. The Lemon dill vinaigrette really brings it all together.

Baked Salmon

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close up of large bowl of salmon pasta salad with sliced cucumber and fresh spinach. Small bowl with lemon vinaigrette next to pasta salad.

Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

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Possible Variations

Add peppers: Add your favorite bell peppers, diced.
Make it pesto: Skip the lemon dill vinaigrette and the dill in the recipe and toss with some fresh pesto!
Add onions: This cold pasta salad tastes great if you add slices of red onions.
Add olives: If you love kalamata olives try slicing some and adding them to this cold pasta salad.

baked salmon leftovers on top of fresh spinach, fresh sliced cucumbers and cooked corkscrew pasta in a white bowl with tan ring around the top.

Salmon Pasta Salad Ingredients:

This salmon salad has some essential ingredients. Feel free to add any other favorites!

Pasta: Use your favorite cooked pasta. For a gluten free option use a good lentil rotini.
Vegetables: Fresh cucumbers and spinach are delicious in this cold pasta salad. You can also add red peppers and red onion to the cucumber salad.
Salmon: We love this baked salmon recipe. Use salmon leftovers or make it especially for this salmon, pasta, spinach, cucumber salad.
Herbs: We love using dill.
Salt + Pepper
Cold Pasta Salad Dressing: We love this lemon dill vinaigrette in this salmon cucumber salad. It’s also great as a marinade.

ingredients - white counter with bowl of corkscrew pasta cooked, sliced cucumbers, small bowl of fresh spinach, round white plate of lemon dill salmon, salt and pepper, bowl of lemon dill vinaigrette, sliced lemons and fresh dill. The salmon pasta spinach cucumber salad ingredients are all fresh and bright. — Salmon pasta salad ingredients.

FAQs About Cold Pasta Salad

How long can you refrigerate salmon pasta salad?

Once you’ve mixed the ingredients together, the fresh vegetables will taste best if you refrigerate and eat within 1-2 days.

Can you freeze salmon pasta salad?

No. This will not freeze and defrost well.

Chocolate Lasagna

Creamy layers of chocolate cookie crumbs, cream cheese filling, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping make this Chocolate Lasagna recipe a family favorite.

See Recipe

square slice of 4 layer no bake layered chocolate and whipped cream dessert on a white plate.

Hot Spinach Dip

Delicious hot spinach dip is filled with cheesy spinach, artichokes and gooey goodness. This dip recipe is perfect as a party dip or as an appetizer.

See Recipe

crusty bread being dipped into hot cheesy spinach and artichoke dip in a black cast iron pan

How to Make Salmon Pasta Salad:

1. Add salad ingredients.

Toss together cooked and cooled pasta, cucumber, spinach, dill, and lemon juice.

2. Drizzle with lemon dill vinaigrette.

Drizzle some of the lemon dill vinaigrette onto your pasta. Measure as little or as much as you want to your taste.

fresh spinach, fresh sliced cucumbers and cooked corkscrew pasta in a white bowl with tan ring around the top. — Combine the fresh ingredients.

3. Add salmon.

Add the salmon and toss lightly. The more you toss the salmon the more it will flake into smaller pieces. If you prefer larger pieces do not toss a lot. If you like smaller pieces then toss away.