What to do with Leftover Salmon: Recipes and Ideas

Salmon is a fantastic fish, packed with healthy omega-3 fats and minerals and vitamins. It’s a versatile option for those looking for ways to incorporate more seafood into their diet. And if you’re having a hard time figuring out what to do with the leftovers, there’s loads of uses to explore. Below we include a variety of recipes for leftover cooked salmon that will please most eaters, from leftover salmon pasta to baked salmon quiche.  Do make sure to get responsibly-sourced salmon for tastier recipes - and for all the nutrients and environmental welfare to boot.

Salmon Asparagus Pasta

Leftover salmon pasta is a classic way to use up your cooked salmon, whether it’s been baked, poached, or pan-fried. Pair with asparagus and lemon for a lovely spring meal.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 500g dried pasta of your choice, like penne or farfalle
• 2 bunches of chopped asparagus spears cut into 2cm pieces
• 200g cream
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 handful of chopped fresh dill fronds plus more for garnish
• 300g flaked, cooked salmon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook your pasta until al denté.
2. When done, transfer the pasta to a colander, reserving the pasta cooking water in the pot.
3. Reheat the pot of water over medium heat and add the chopped asparagus spears with olive oil and salt, cooking 1-2 min until they turn bright green and still have a snap, then transfer to the same colander as the pasta.
4. Pour the cream into a 12-inch skillet and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until reduced by half and the cream easily coats the back of a spoon.
5. Add the lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, fresh dill and cooked salmon to the cream and stir until the cheese is melted and the salmon warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the cooked bow tie pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and top with more Parmesan cheese and dill if desired. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Foodie Crush.

Salmon Quiche

While cheese and bacon come to mind when you think of quiche, the egg-custard base lends itself well to any kind of filling. A quiche is thus a perfect vehicle for using up what’s in your fridge, and this recipe below is a great option for leftover baked salmon. Cheese is optional.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 500g pie pastry, purchased or homemade, unbaked
• 400g leftover baked salmon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 350ml milk
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Dash of black pepper
• 100g grated gruyere or parmesan (optional)

Steps

1. Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 190 C.
2. Roll out your pastry into a pie tin. Bake the crust in the heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 175 C.
3. Flake your leftover baked salmon into bite-sized pieces.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent. Spoon the onions over the salmon and sprinkle with parsley.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add cheese if using. Pour over the salmon and onion mixture.
6. Bake the quiche at 180 C for 45 to 50 minutes, or until firm and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving to let it set.
7. Serve the quiche warm with a side salad or roasted vegetables.

Adapted from The Spruce Eats.

Salmon Rillettes

Rillettes is a meat spread usually made with seasoned and cooked pork or duck, which is then marinated in its own fat. A salmon version is not only ligher but a fantastic way to use already cooked salmon. Serve with lightly toasted baguette crostini in this adapted version from Spoon, Fork, and Bacon.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 350g leftover skinless salmon fillets, poached or baked
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 ½ tablespoons roughly chopped capers
• 1 ½ tablespoons thinly sliced chives
• 1 ½ tablespoons minced dill
• 1 tablespoon minced tarragon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 80g crème fraiche
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sourdough baguette, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Steps

1. Place salmon into a large bowl and lightly flake apart with two forks.
2. Add shallot, garlic, capers, tarragon, and dill and stir together. Add lemon juice and crème fraiche and continue to stir until fully mixed. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Scoop mixture into a jar or other storage container and tightly compact and chill for at least an hour or until ready to use.
4. For crostini: Preheat oven to 190 C. Place baguette slices onto a baking sheet and brush with oil. Flip and brush other sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Flip each crostini and continue to bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges and crisp. Serve with chilled rillettes.

Salmon Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

With the addition of just a few pantry staples, turn cooked salmon into an entirely new meal with these crispy salmon cakes. Roasting the red peppers for the sauce until blistered adds a smokiness that pairs wonderfully with the salmon, so don’t forgo this step.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the salmon cakes:

• 4 green onions, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 handful of fresh dill, chopped
• 200g of breadcrumbs, or as much as needed to coat the patties
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 400g flaked cooked salmon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g vegetable oil, for sautéeing

For the red pepper sauce:

• 4 red bell peppers
• 450g single or double cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cayenne pepper

Steps

For the Salmon Cakes:

1. Add the green onions, parsley and dill into a food processor and process until fine.
2. Add 150g bread crumbs, eggs, melted butter, mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice. Pulse on and off until well mixed.
3. Add the chunks of salmon and season with salt and black pepper and pulse on and off until gently combined and mixture begins to hold together. Be careful not to over process.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
5. Shape into patties 1cm thick. Dip the patties into the remaining bread crumbs, and pat to coat all of the sides completely then set aside.
6. In a large skillet, heat the oil to medium until the oil sizzles when a bread crumb is dropped into it. Sauté the patties for 2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Place the patties on a plate lined with paper towels and cover to keep warm. Serve with egg noodles and red bell pepper cream sauce.

For the Red Bell Pepper Cream Sauce

1. Roast the whole peppers over a medium high flame, turning often, until charred.
2. Place in a plastic bag, seal and allow to steam in the bag for 10-15 minutes or until the skin peels off easily. Remove the skin, stem and seeds and coarsely chop the bell peppers.
3. In a medium pot over medium heat, add the bell peppers and the cream and bring almost to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cream has reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
5. Purée with a hand held blender, in a blender or in food processor until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste. Keep over low heat before serving.

Adapted from Foodie Crush.

Salmon, Kale and Quinoa Bowl

For a healthy option, turn leftover salmon into a nutrient-packed bowl with kale and quinoa and top with a delicious tahini-yoghurt sauce.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 180g dried quinoa
• 1 bunch Lacinato or Tuscan kale, thick stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• 300g cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained if canned
• 40g dried currants, cranberries or cherries
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 400g leftover salmon

For the sauce:

• 65g tahini
• 65g water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 120g Greek yogurt
• Sea salt

Steps

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and 500ml water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then let stand covered for 10 minutes off the heat. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, combine the kale, carrots, lemon juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. With clean hands, toss the kale until very well coated in the lemon and oil. Add the cooked quinoa to the kale along with the chickpeas, dried fruit and sesame seeds. Mix until well-incorporated and taste for seasoning.
3. Add the salmon to the kale and quinoa mixture, and toss to mix.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce until smooth. Add more water as necessary to make the sauce drizzle-friendly. Spoon over the salad and serve immediately.

Adapted from Feed Me Phoebe.