Hearty, protein-packed lunches are essential fuel on a river trip. This smoked salmon camping salad delivers plenty of protein from smoked salmon, hard-boiled eggs, feta, and walnuts while packing in vegetables (kale and tomatoes) and whole grains. Stuff it into a pita or tortilla with a drizzle of lemon vinaigrette for an easy make-ahead camping lunch.
Prep the smoked salmon camping salad before your trip
To save time in camp or at your lunch stop, follow these steps for prepping the ingredients so they stay fresh and come together quickly.
- Make the lemon vinaigrette ahead and place in a screwtop container.
- Buy prewashed, stemmed and chopped kale in a bag and leave in its packaging. If you can’t find prewashed and chopped kale, wash and dry bulk kale, remove the stems and chop into bite-sized pieces. Place in a zip-lock plastic bag with a couple of paper towels to keep the kale from getting soggy.
- Cook the wheatberries until tender but still pleasantly chewy. Drain well and cool completely before packing.
- Buy packaged smoked salmon.
- Dice red onion and put in a small airtight container.
- Leave the feta in its packaging .
- Boil eggs and place in a small container.
- Place all ingredients in a bag labeled for the appropriate river lunch day so all the ingredients are together.
- At the lunch stop, simply combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and set out wraps (pitas, tortillas, cheese wraps, etc.) .
This smoked salmon camping salad also works as a main dinner dish. Looking for other high-protein camp salads? Check out our bulghur-based Colorado Tabbouleh or our Tofu (or Chicken) Curry Wraps.
Gluten-free, vegetarian, and lower-carb options
Gluten-Free Variation: Substitute cooked quinoa or wild rice for the wheatberries.
Vegetarian Variation: Omit the smoked salmon and add chickpeas or white beans.
Lower-Carb Variation: Skip the wheatberries and increase the salmon, eggs, and walnuts.You can also make a vegetarian version by omitting the smoked salmon and adding extra feta, chickpeas, or white beans.
More river camping meals
Need more ideas for river camping meals? Be sure to check out our river trip meal planning guidelines, make-ahead dinners, and easy river trip meals for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters.
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Kale and Smoked Salmon Camp Salad
This easy smoked salmon camping salad combines tender wheatberries, crunchy walnuts, hard-boiled eggs, feta, and a bright lemon vinaigrette for a protein-packed camping lunch or river-trip meal. Serve it in wraps, pitas, or on its own.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp minced shallot 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepperInstructions
- Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients.
- Combine kale, wheatberries, smoked salmon, onion, walnuts, eggs, feta, and tomatoes in a large bowl.
- Toss with the vinaigrette until evenly coated.
- Serve in pita pockets, tortillas, or lettuce wraps.
Notes
Complete all prep before your trip. At your lunch stop, simply combine the ingredients in a large bowl, toss with vinaigrette, and serve in wraps or pitas. This reduces on-river assembly to about 10 minutes.
- Precook the eggs and wheatberries
- Buy pre-washed, stemmed kale and leave in original packaging
- Pre-make the vinaigrette and store in a screw-top container
- Dice the onions and place in a zip-lock bag or container
- Leave cherry tomatoes in original packaging
- Leave feta in its original packaging
- Store all ingredients in your camp cooler until it’s time to assemble the salad
In camp, simply chop the salmon, slice the tomatoes lengthwise, and combine everything in a large bowl.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes (for wheatberries and eggs, cooked ahead of the camping trip)
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American