Salmon Cakes With Dill Aioli

By Patsy Catsos, MS, RDN, LD, Author of The IBS Elimination Diet and Cookbook | Updated April 09, 2019
salmon cakes with aioli

Patsy Catsos

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

Calories 200
Fat 11g
Carbs 7g
Protein 18g
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 (1 cake + 1 T aioli each)
Amount per serving  
Calories 200
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 370mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 1g  
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 18g  
Vitamin D 10mcg 50%
Calcium 212mg 16%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 342mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Total Time 25 min
Prep 15 min, Cook 10 min
Servings 6 (1 cake + 1 T aioli each)

Salmon has been ​canned in Europe since 1830 and in North American since the 1840s. Fish cakes or burgers made with canned salmon were undoubtedly not far behind. Although most of us now have access to fresh salmon year-round, canned salmon cannot be beaten as a source of non-dairy calcium.

The calcium-rich bones are left in the salmon during the canning process, and they are edible. You probably won’t notice them at all! We have revived the humble salmon cake, with oatmeal as a low FODMAP binder, accompanied by a simple and delicious lemon-dill aioli.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon garlic-infused olive oil
  • 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
  • 14.5-ounce can salmon, with bones, drained
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup finely chopped celery
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens
  • ½ cup quick oats
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup low-FODMAP bread crumbs (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 lemon wedges

Preparation

  1. For the aioli, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, garlic-infused oil, fresh lemon juice, and chopped dill. Cover and chill until just before serving.
  2. For the fish cakes, lightly mash the salmon and bones in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the egg, celery, scallion greens, oats, tomato paste, and black pepper. Cover and chill for about an hour to hydrate and soften the oatmeal. Using your hands, form the mixture into 6 patties and dust them on both sides with breadcrumbs, if using.
  1. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering and fragrant. Fry the cakes for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until dark golden brown. Don’t try to flip them too soon, as they will stick to the pan unless a nice crust has formed on the bottom. They only need to be flipped once.
  2. Garnish the warm burgers with a dollop of sauce and some extra dill. Serve with lemon wedges.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Canned tuna may be substituted for the salmon. Low-FODMAP breadcrumbs may be substituted for the oatmeal.

For a gluten-free salmon cake, purchase gluten-free oats and use gluten-free breadcrumbs or Panko for the optional crumb coating.

Garlic-infused oil may be omitted if you don’t have any on hand.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Tomato paste sold in toothpaste-like tubes is becoming more widely available. This form of packaging makes it easy to use just a small amount, as in this recipe, keeping the rest fresh for another time.

The sauce portion of the recipe doubles easily if you like extra sauce on your fish cakes.

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