Seafood Salad Recipes

If the words "seafood salad" conjure images of mayonnaise-laden mounds on beds of flavorless lettuce, get ready to change your thinking with our collection of 29 fresh and easy seafood salad recipes.
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Shrimp-and-Grapefruit Spinach Salad

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Grapefruit adds a refreshing touch to this main-course salad, which also includes sauteed shrimp and spinach. You can substitute orange for the grapefruit.

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Smoked-Salmon Cobb Salad

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This modern spin on the classic Cobb replaces chicken with smoked salmon, a nice match to crisp bacon and creamy buttermilk dressing.

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Warm Thai Squid and Shrimp Salad

Lisa Hubbard
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Squid, shrimp, and vegetables bake in a parchment packet, a steamy method that instills a lot of flavor with little fat. Serve with rice noodles to turn this warm salad into a main course.

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Seared Scallops Nicoise

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The classic dish of salade Nicoise gets reimagined with the substitution of seared scallops for the usual tuna. If the scallops are very large, slice them in half crosswise before coating with ground black, white, pink, and green peppercorns and searing.

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Asian Salad with Salmon

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Simple broiled salmon gets a boost from a flavorful Asian salad accompaniment made of shredded napa and red cabbage with carrots, sweet onion, toasted almonds, and dried apricots, and dressed with a mixture of rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey.

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Tuna Salad Bruschetta

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For an excellent appetizer, light lunch, or afternoon snack, toss together cannellini beans, shallot, parsley, celery, and olive oil-packed tuna in a zingy lemon-Dijon dressing. Pile on toasted baguette slices.

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Greek Salad with Broiled Shrimp

Dana Gallagher
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Skewered shrimp get the Mediterranean treatment when they're flavored with garlic, lemon, and oregano before broiling. Serve them over a Greek salad accompanied by herbed toasted pitas and feta cheese.

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Warm Butter-Poached Lobster Salad with Tarragon-Citrus Dressing

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This elegant meal makes a perfect romantic dinner for two. Whole lobster is partially boiled before the meat is poached in tangelo juice enriched with butter. Serve the tender lobster meat on Bibb lettuce leaves and drizzle over with tangelo dressing.

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Chopped Salad with Shrimp and Lime-Buttermilk Dressing

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Avocado makes the buttermilk dressing especially rich. Toss with chopped romaine lettuce, toasted pumpkin seeds, and fresh cilantro leaves, and top with cooked shrimp. You'll have extra dressing; refrigerate it in an airtight container and use up within three days.

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Baccala Salad

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Baccala salad is traditionally served at Italian Christmas Eve celebrations. To create this festive dish, take salt cod that has been soaked, poached, and flaked, and combine with olive oil, lemon juice, and olives.

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Spinach Salad with Salmon

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Broiled salmon, crumbled goat cheese, and pecans pack plenty of protein into this main-dish salad. Dress the salad with a vinaigrette of balsamic, Dijon mustard, and rosemary.

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Shrimp and Rice Salad with Parsley

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Make this simple salad dish in just minutes. Combine sauteed shrimp with cooked rice, fresh parsley, and lemon juice. Serve warm or chilled as an appetizer.

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Seafood Salad

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Fresh octopus, mussels, clams, and squid come together in this traditional Italian seafood salad recipe from chef David Pasternack. Let the salad stand for 2 hours so the flavors mingle. Serve at room temperature.

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White Bean and Tuna Salad

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Pantry ingredients, such as canned cannellini beans and tuna, help this baby spinach salad come together in minutes. Try serving the bean and tuna mixture on garlic-rubbed toasts as an appetizer.

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Fennel and Smoked Salmon Salad

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Thinly shaved fennel tops this salad of smoked salmon. Serve it as an elegant yet simple appetizer. For a twist, try cucumber or celery in place of the fennel, or try a combination of all three.

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Calamari, Chile, and Watermelon Salad

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Mild-tasting calamari, briny cockles, and sweet watermelon contrast with the Asian-inspired ginger-garlic dressing in this salad. The addition of pickled onions and garnish of cilantro and mint provide extra layers of flavor.

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Seared Shrimp Salad

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Along with being quick and easy, chef Emeril Lagasse's seared shrimp salad is a light and refreshing meal on a warm-weather evening. The sweet and savory dressing includes orange juice, honey, soy sauce, and chile flakes for kick.

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Tuna Salad Nicoise

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For a delicious update of the classic French recipe, forgo the usual raw tomatoes and boiled potatoes for roasted, and replace the standard green beans for peppery arugula. Choose tuna packed in olive oil; it has more flavor than the kind packed in water or vegetable oil.

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Grilled Scallop Salad

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This main-course salad couldn't be easier to prepare. Simply sear scallops in a grill, then serve them nestled in a bed of watercress and shaved fennel tossed in vinaigrette.

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Onion and Cucumber Salad with Salmon

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This salad -- combining mild Vidalia onions, flaked baked salmon, capers, and cucumbers -- is substantial enough to serve as a light dinner. To substitute red-wine vinegar for the sherry vinegar in the dressing, add a bit more honey.

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Salmon Salad with Parsley and Capers

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Toss poached salmon with red onion and lots of fresh parsley in a vinaigrette of capers, olive oil, and red-wine vinegar. Serve this salad with crusty bread, or combine with cooked, cooled penne for an out-of-the-ordinary pasta salad.

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Salade Nicoise

James Merrell
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Presentation in a butter-lettuce-leaf "cup" makes this version of the French classic of salade Nicoise is special. Look for the freshest lettuce and eggs you can find, and use imported canned Italian tuna, packed in oil, which has more flavor than the water- or vegetable-oil-packed varieties.

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Butter-Lettuce Salad with Poached Salmon and Herbs

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Buttery avocado, crisp radishes and romaine lettuce, and oil-packed tuna make a lovely chorus of textures and tastes. A light vinaigrette of olive oil, white-wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard rounds out the flavors.

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Tuna, Avocado, and Romaine Salad

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Crispy romaine leaves and thinly sliced radish contrast nicely with buttery avocado in this tuna salad. A Dijon mustard vinaigrette rounds out the flavors.

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Frisee With Flaked Salmon and Cucumber

Earl Carter
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Unlike cold-smoked salmon, which is usually sold in thin slices, hot-smoked salmon is fully cooked and flaky. Here, it contrasts with the unique texture of frilly frisee and a sweet-and-creamy dressing.

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Shrimp and Snap Pea Salad with Ginger Dressing

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This simple main course salad cuts down on prep time by boiling fresh snap peas and shrimp together in the same pot. Toss together with torn Boston lettuce, sliced bell peppers, and sliced scallion greens; serve with the ginger dressing on the side or drizzled on top.

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Baby Spinach Salad with Tuna

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Plain yogurt, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice make a creamy low-fat dressing for this take-along lunch salad. Pour it over the spinach, grapes, red onion, and tuna when you're ready to eat.

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Shrimp Caesar Salad

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Give classic Caesar salad a Tex-Mex twist: Toss tortilla wedges and shrimp with chili powder before cooking, then put atop a salad of romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, and anchovies, tossed with a healthier-than-usual dressing with light mayonnaise and lime juice.

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Salmon Nicoise Salad

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Poached salmon replaces tuna in the classic Nicoise salad. You can steam the green beans and boil the potatoes and eggs ahead of time to put this dish together at the last minute, or cook them all while the salmon poaches. Arrange the ingredients in groups on a platter for a pretty presentation.

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