It's Wild Salmon Season!

salmon 101 + a refreshing summer salad

May 16, 2025

Hey friends!

Before we dive into Salmon 101, a tiny ask: your comments, shares, and likes mean a lot and help this space grow.

It’s wild salmon season, and I look forward to it every year. A friend of mine, who isn’t a salmon connoisseur, once told me that sometimes she loves salmon, but other times the flavor seems overpowering. I realized this might be a common dilemma—and one that doesn’t always make sense to those unfamiliar with salmon's subtleties. So here’s my take!

Atlantic salmon, the farmed variety, is available year-round and is what most restaurants serve. Wild salmon, on the other hand, is only in season from May to September, and when you see it on a menu, it’ll be marked as wild because it’s significantly more expensive. Farmed Atlantic salmon, despite being labeled antibiotic-free at places like Costco, still contains artificial colorants to mimic the natural orange hue of wild salmon.

Atlantic salmon tends to be the fattiest type of salmon because it’s raised in close quarters, with little room to exercise—leading to the same fate as any sedentary creature: it gets fat. Atlantic salmon may be silky, rich, and buttery, but it doesn’t compare to wild salmon when it comes to nutrition. There’s plenty of debate over the health risks of farmed salmon, but it’s hard to find a definitive answer as the industry likely spends lots of money trying to fight that negative perception. There are clear differences between wild-caught and farmed salmon in terms of taste, nutrition, environmental impact, and availability. That said, if you like a really mild, deeply unctuous fillet of salmon, you might prefer farmed over wild.

Wild Salmon: Wild-caught salmon comes from rivers and oceans, following its natural migratory patterns. These salmon species are generally leaner due to their active lifestyle and wild diet. Wild salmon is known for its richer, more complex flavor and is more environmentally sustainable, as it’s harvested from natural habitats without the need for farming resources. The most commonly available wild salmon species (in Southern California, where I live) are King, Sockeye, and Coho.

King Salmon: The largest, richest and fattiest of all the salmon species, King salmon is prized for its luxurious, buttery texture. King salmon is typically available in May, with peak season occurring between June and July.
Sockeye Salmon: Sockeye salmon is known for its vibrant red flesh, intense, earthy flavor, and firmer texture. Sockeye is in season during the summer months, with peak availability in July and August. It’s incredibly nutrient-dense, but its more robust flavor and denser texture make it my least favorite variety.
Coho Salmon: Coho salmon strikes a balance between farmed and wild salmon with a milder flavor, tender texture, and moderate fat content. Coho is typically available from mid-summer to fall. It’s mild, affordable, and my favorite variety after King.

Farmed Salmon: Farmed salmon, in contrast, is raised in controlled environments, such as ocean pens or land-based tanks. Fed a diet of fishmeal and nutrients, it has a milder taste and fattier flesh. While farmed salmon is typically more affordable and offers consistent color and texture, concerns about the environmental impact of farming—such as water pollution, disease transmission, and antibiotic use—are worth considering.

My Year-Round Salmon Strategy: I savor every bite of King salmon from May through June—it's a true indulgence. If you’re not absolutely in love with it, though, it’s probably not worth the splurge. In July, I switch to Coho for the remainder of the season. During the winter off-season, I rely on frozen wild salmon, with Sockeye being the most common option (you can find it at Costco!). Trader Joe's carries both frozen Sockeye and Coho. I use it for making salmon cakes, salads, and chowders. For a simpler, pan-seared fillet, I prefer fresh, never frozen, Atlantic salmon.

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RECIPE

Summer Salmon Salad with Cool, Crisp Veg + Dilly Dressing

This refreshing salad features succulent salmon paired with crisp greens, cool cucumbers, and peppery radishes. It’s the perfect summer meal! Choose your favorite seasonal greens from the market or local farm stand; the beauty of summer fare lies in its simplicity and the peak ripeness of ingredients. Keep a jar of this scrumptious dilly dressing on hand in the fridge for easy assembly. To ensure your salmon remains as rich and tender as possible, avoid overcooking.

Serves 4
Dressing
1 cup (235 g) mayonnaise
1/3 cup (8 g) lightly packed finely chopped dill fronds
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

Salmon
4 (6-oz/170-g) fresh, wild-caught salmon fillets
Extra-virgin olive oil
Pink salt, for sprinkling

Salad
Mild summer greens of choice
1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced on a mandoline
4 radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline
Handful of chopped chives
Flake salt, such as Maldon

Make the dressing: Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Making it a couple hours in advance gives the flavors a chance to develop. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Cook the salmon: Bring the salmon to room temperature by removing it from the fridge 30 minutes in advance—this ensures even doneness.

Preheat an outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Pat dry each fillet, coat each one with oil, and generously sprinkle with salt. Grill salmon, skin-side down, until golden, crisp, and nearly cooked through. Flip over and grill for another 1–2 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the fillet registers 125°F–130°F.

Assemble the salad: Layer the salad ingredients on 4 individual plates or a large platter, beginning with the greens. Add cucumber, radishes, and chunks of salmon, and then sprinkle with chives. Drizzle the dressing generously, sprinkle with flake salt, and serve immediately.

Copyright © 2025 by Rachel Riggs.

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Why You’ll Love This Book:

It's an invaluable resource featuring over 75 recipes, perfect for those with dietary restrictions or anyone looking to fuel their body with nutrient-dense food.
Each recipe is free of nightshades (eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes), soy, grains, gluten, legumes, pork, shellfish, dairy, refined sugar, cashews and peanuts. (I’d like to think you won’t notice their absence!)
The ingredients lists are short + the preparation times are reasonable.
There’s a photo of every recipe — which isn’t solely for the purpose of drooling and dreaming — it provides context for how each dish is made and presented.
There are oodles of new + exciting ways to get your veg on!
Oh, and CAKE — so much cake! These everyday cakes are almond flour and maple syrup-based, and are mixed up with a single bowl + whisk.