Mackerel Pasta Salad is quick, easy and packed full of flavour. Perfect for meal prep, with smoked mackerel, celery, green olives and shallot in a tangy lemon and herb dressing, this tasty pasta salad makes a great lunch or dinner.
Pasta Salad is one of my favourite easy lunches. I love to prep a big bowl every couple of days for an easy grab and go meal option. This Mackerel Pasta Salad is currently on weekly rotation alongside my Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad and Lemon Dill Prawn Pasta Salad.
Smoked Mackerel Salad
Mackerel is an excellent addition to your diet. Considered an ‘oily fish’ thanks to its high levels of omega-3s, mackerel is also a great source of vitamins B2, B3, B6, and B12, and vitamin D plus minerals like copper, selenium, and iodine.
Since smoked mackerel is sold ready to eat, it makes this mackerel salad really quick and easy to prepare. You can also use tinned mackerel in this recipe – I would recommend using mackerel tinned in olive oil or brine, drained before flaking with a fork.
Ingredients
- Smoked Mackerel Fillets – This recipe calls for 2 smoked mackerel fillets, roughly 165-200 grams. You can also use tinned mackerel fillets in olive oil or brine – two 4oz/125g tins, drained and flaked.
- Shallot – or red onion.
- Celery
- Green Olives
- Salad Leaves – My go-to salad is a mix of baby red and green leaf lettuce, baby spinach and red chard, but use whatever you like or have to hand.
- Fresh Dill and Chives
- Mayonnaise – for the dressing. Use your favourite brand. Both vegan and light mayonnaise work well, or swap the mayo for olive oil if preferred.
- Lemon – juice and zest.
- White Wine Vinegar – or any white vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard
- Sugar
- Salt
Top Tip
If you have time, soak the sliced shallot and celery in ice water for 5 minutes before adding to the salad. This crisps up both the celery and onion, and also helps to take away the sharpness of the onion and make it a little easier on the stomach. Not essential but a step which can take your mackerel salad to the next level.
Serving and Storing
Smoked Mackerel Pasta Salad makes a great meal on its own, or you can serve it as a side dish for picnics, BBQs or pot lucks etc.
Swap the mackerel for tinned tuna or hot smoked salmon – its also a great way to use up leftover poached salmon.
This Mackerel Salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but I would recommend only adding the salad leaves when ready to serve.
More Pasta Salad Recipes:
- Mediterranean Tuna Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Tomato and Cucumber Pasta Salad
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
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Smoked Mackerel Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Pasta Pot
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 200 grams pasta
- 2 smoked mackerel fillets - about 200g/8oz total weight or 2x4oz tinned mackerel
- 5 celery stalks
- 1 cup green olives - (about 100g)
- 1 banana shallot - (or 2 shallots or 1 small red onion)
- 100 grams salad leaves
Dressing
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 lemon - for zest and juice
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar - or any white vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a large bowl and whisking together. Add the pasta to the bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Thinly slice the shallot and celery (I use a mandoline slicer) and slice the olives in half. Add to the bowl with the pasta.
- Remove the skin then gently flake the mackerel fillets into bitesized pieces with fingers or a fork then add to the pasta. Mix everything together.
- Toss with salad leaves to serve.
Nutrition
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