Cottage Cheese Salmon Salad

Name: Cottage Cheese Salmon Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 5-ounce / 3 x 142 grams canned Salmon, skinless and boneless – drained; ½ cup / 115 grams blended Whole Milk Cottage Cheese (4% fat) – blended (note 1); 1 tablespoon / 14 grams Mayonnaise (I used avocado oil mayonnaise); 1 teaspoon / 8 grams Wholegrain Mustard; 2-3 tablespoons / 36 grams chopped Dill Pickles; ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, to taste; 1 teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste; 1 teaspoon dried Dill Weed; 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed Lemon Juice, to taste

About This Recipe

If you’re looking for a high protein lunch to add to your repertoire, try this Cottage Cheese Salmon Salad!

Like my Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad, it’s easy to make in just 10 minutes with simple ingredients and ultra-creamy thanks to blended cottage cheese and a spoonful of mayonnaise for richness.

Everything gets mixed together in a bowl to make a tasty salmon salad that is high in protein, healthy, and wonderfully creamy and rich tasting! It’s perfect for meal prep and an easy lunch during the week!

I intentionally left out veggies like celery and onion from this salmon salad because they can make the salad watery and the onion can get too acidic for my palate after storing in the fridge for a few days.

This helps the salmon salad stay fresher longer and you can always add fresh cut veggies when you’re about to eat or enjoy the salmon salad on a crisp and refreshing mixed salad!

Why I Love Salmon Salad with Cottage Cheese

Quick and easy. Simply mix everything in one bowl!
Double the protein. Using high protein cottage cheese and salmon together results in a salmon salad with 33.7 grams of protein in each serving!
Meal prep. Leftovers store well in the fridge for days and can be enjoyed in sandwiches, wraps, on salads, with crackers, etc. throughout the week!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

Labeled Cottage Cheese Salmon Salad ingredients on wood board.

Canned Salmon: I used 3 5-ounce cans of wild pink salmon with sea salt added. You could also use 2 7-ounce cans and use slightly less cottage cheese. Feel free to use canned salmon with no salt added and adjust salt to taste.
Blended Whole Milk Cottage Cheese: Blended until smooth and creamy. Cottage cheese is a great replacement for mayonnaise and is a high protein cheese. While I used 4% whole milk cottage cheese, low fat (2%), or fat-free cottage cheese will work too. Use leftovers to make my Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad or Cottage Cheese Egg Salad.
Mayonnaise: Just a tablespoon to add creaminess and richness. I used avocado oil mayonnaise here but use your favorite mayo! Kewpie mayonnaise would be a great option to add a richer flavor since it’s made with just the egg yolk. Kraft Mayonnaise like in my Kebab Shop Garlic Sauce recipe would also be delicious!
Wholegrain Mustard: Or you can use dijon mustard, yellow mustard, or honey mustard for a sweeter flavor.
Chopped Dill Pickles: Adds tangy flavors, tartness and crunch. Substitute with chopped gherkins or cornichons. You could also add capers instead or in addition to the dill pickles.
Fine Sea Salt: Adjust to taste depending on if you are using canned salmon with salt added or without salt.
Black Pepper: Fresh cracked always tastes fresher and better than the pre-ground black pepper.
Dried Dill Weed: Pairs well with canned salmon adds a subtle hint of sweetness and citrus flavors. You can use fresh dill instead if you have it on hand.
Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best, bright citrus flavor! Substitute with pickle juice from the dill pickle jar.

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Looking for more cottage cheese recipes? Check out my Single Serving Cottage Cheese Tiramisu, Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats, and Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta with Shrimp!

Cook’s Tips and Variations

Adjust salt to taste. Especially if using canned salmon with salt added. Most cottage cheese also has salt added and different brands will have varying levels of saltiness. Start with less salt and add more if needed after tasting the salmon salad.
Drain the canned salmon well. Nobody likes a watery lunch salad making their sandwich bread soggy!
Chill the salmon salad. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes in the fridge. The flavors will have time to meld and chilling will result in a better texture and flavor.
Add veggies. Chopped red onion, celery, green onions, bell peppers will add crunch, flavor and fiber! Cucumber would also be tasty and refreshing but opt for a Persian cucumber or a hot house/English cucumber. They have less water than American cucumbers.
Add fresh herbs. Fresh dill, chives, parsley, basil, and cilantro all would add their own unique flavor and freshness. You could also add other herby seasonings like Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence.
Make it spicy. Crushed red pepper flakes, ground cayenne, or hot sauce like Cholula or Buffalo sauce for a kick of heat! A finely diced jalapeño (deseeded) would add both heat and crunch.
Leave out the mayo. I personally like to add a small amount for a richer flavor and texture but if you want to make it without mayo, simply leave it out!
Double the recipe. This recipe makes 3-4 servings as written. If you need to make more for meal prep or if feeding a crowd, click on the ‘2x’ button at the top of the recipe card to display double the ingredient amounts.

Dietary Modifications

Dairy-free. Use a lactose-free cottage cheese. If you are in the USA, Good Culture has a 2% lactose free cottage cheese.
Gluten-free. The cottage cheese salmon salad itself is gluten-free. Serve it with your favorite gluten-free bread, rice cakes, gluten-free certified crackers, GF pita chips, or veggies for dipping.

How to Make High Protein Salmon Salad – Step-by-Step

Add all the ingredients to medium sized mixing bowl (image 1). Give everything a good mix to combine (image 2). Serve in sandwiches, wraps, salads, with crackers, etc.

Cottage cheese salmon salad ingredients in a medium bowl.

High protein salmon salad with dill pickles in a bowl with a silicone spatula.

Storage

Storing: Store salmon salad in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If any liquid is released from the dressing and pools at the top, give it a good mix and it’s ready to serve again!

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing it as the texture will be watery and grainy once thawed.

Salmon salad with cottage cheese and dill pickles in a square glass meal prep dish.

Serving Suggestions

Sandwiches. I love this cottage cheese salmon salad in a pan-toasted sourdough bread sandwich with melted cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeños. It’s like a tuna melt but with salmon salad instead of tuna salad and minus searing the sandwich in butter or mayo.

Salmon Avocado Bagel. It’s also great in a toasted everything or plain bagel with sliced cucumber, avocado, red onion, tomatoes and lettuce. Try it with my easy homemade Greek yogurt bagels for more protein. You could either spread mashed avocado on the bread before piling the salmon salad on top or add sliced avocado to your sandwich.

Other ways to serve. Other ways to serve would be to add a few spoonfuls on top of a mixed green salad, in a tortilla wrap, lettuce cups or loaded baked potato. You can also eat it as a dip with veggie sticks (carrots, celery, cucumber, etc.), whole grain wheat crackers like Triscuits or pita chips for scooping.

Healthy salmon salad toasted sourdough bread sandwich with cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeños stacked on a plate.

FAQs

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese?

Yes. Greek yogurt will work and is also high in protein. However, using blended cottage cheese will result in a thicker and creamier texture. If using Greek yogurt, use whole milk plain Greek yogurt instead of low-fat or fat-free.

Can you taste the cottage cheese texture in the salmon salad?

Not really! Blended cottage cheese is creamy and thick and meant to replace large amounts of mayonnaise in this recipe. The curd texture associated with cottage cheese that some people aren’t a fan of is completely gone if you blend the cottage cheese well. Having said that, different cottage cheese brands will have varying levels of saltiness and tang so use a brand you like the flavor of. I love Daisy and Good Culture cottage cheese (both are made in the USA) and Bulla cottage cheese (made in Australia but widely available in Asia). They aren’t overly salty or tangy and have the best flavor.

Can I use canned salmon in oil?

Yes, you can, if you prefer making this salmon salad with oil-packed salmon. The salmon will be more tender and flavorful, especially if packed in extra virgin olive oil. However, be sure to drain the can well so that the texture and flavor is not overly greasy. You may want to leave out the mayonnaise if using oil-packed salmon.

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High protein salmon salad sourdough sandwich with cheddar stacked on a light pink plate. Text overlay "Cottage Cheese Salmon Salad", "High Protein | Easy | Meal Prep", and "That Spicy Chick".

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Cottage Cheese Salmon Salad

About This Recipe

Why I Love Salmon Salad with Cottage Cheese

Table of contents

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes