A Super Healthy, Delicious Salmon Recipe
In my kitchen, we keep this simple yet delicious and super healthy salmon recipe on frequent rotation. It is an easy way to enjoy a perfectly cooked, slightly crispy piece of salmon alongside a delicious kale salad with tahini caesar dressing. It’s a great recipe for a weeknight meal, but its also wonderful for parties, meal prep, and deep nutrition.
The salmon is coated in an easy gremolata–which is an Italian green sauce comprised of herbs, lemon, and garlic–and then baked in a foil tent. For this recipe, we add a little more olive oil than usual to the gremolata plus some lemon juice so that the salmon steams a little bit in its tent. It’s a great way to cook it perfectly throughout, and avoids the gumminess or rawness that can be tricky in many salmon dishes. Plus, broiling the filets at the very end helps create that delicious golden crust that gives the salmon a bit more flavor and texture.
If you feel sick of boring baked salmon or classic caesar salads, this mix-up recipe is perfect you. The tahini twist on caesar dressing in this recipe plus swapping-out kale for the classic romaine brings new life to a caesar-style bowl and makes it more savory with a lot more crunch.
Health Benefits of Salmon
I must confess, I use to not enjoy the taste of salmon. I had avoided it for so long that I had to re-introduce it to my palette several times before I started really loving it. But I did this exposure work on purpose because salmon is so deeply nutritious. I needed it in my diet!
Salmon is rich in a special type of fat called Omega-3. These polyunsaturated fats are “essential” in the diet, which means they must be consumed in our food in order for our body to have them. Our body cannot make Omega-3 fats on its own. Most modern Americans aren’t getting nearly enough Omega-3, so its important to actually focus a bit on where and how we’re consuming it. Omega-3 fats are so critical because not only are they essential to life–hence their “essential” status–but they’re potent anti-inflammatory instigators. Meaning, omega-3 fats initiate anti-inflammatory cascades in the human body. They also provide key fats for our brains and brain cells, as well as for healing, inflammatory resolution, and highly nourishing fats for fuel.
Salmon also has the added benefits of being a complete protein, meaning it has all essential amino acids, plus it is highly bioavailable. These traits make salmon a true “superfood,” although I hesitate to use the word very much. But in this case, it fits. The salmon is delivering hormone-balancing protein, potent Omega-3 fats, and is complemented by the high-fiber power of the kale. It’s a deeply nutritious, blood-sugar-balancing meal. This recipe is also dairy-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Gremolata Crusted Salmon with Tahini Kale Caesar
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 1 bunch parsley (about 3/4 cup chopped)
- 1 bunch basil (about 3/4 cup chopped)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch of salt
- 1/2-1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 center-cut salmon filets
For the Tahini Kale Caesar
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp avocado oil mayo (or 1 raw egg, if you can eat raw foods)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
- 12 oz kale, shredded with thick stems removed
Instructions
For the Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with 2 layers of overlapping tin foil, making the tin foil a little longer than the sheet pan (the extra edges will be used to fold up over the salmon). In a small bowl, whisk together the parsley, basil, oregano, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Spray or drizzle the tin foil with olive oil. Lay the salmon filets down the center of the top piece of tin foil. Pour the gremolata mixture over the salmon filets. Gently fold the tin foil over the salmon and seal the edges.
- Bake until salmon is just cooked-through, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the broiler on. Baste the salmon with the juices from gremolata. Return the salmon, uncovered, to the oven and place under the broiler for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until caramelized and very golden.
For the Tahini Kale Caesar
- Combine all of the ingredients, except for the kale, in a blender. Puree until smooth. If the tahini dressing feels a little thick, you can add water–1 tbsp at a time–until you reach your desired consistency.
- Coat your prepped kale with a thin layer of the dressing, tossing with tongs thoroughly so that all the kale is evenly coated.
- Serve the hot salmon alongside the salad. Enjoy!