This salmon bowl with rice recipe is the definition of an easy and healthy dinner! Drizzle with a creamy sauce and be amazed.
One of the simplest concepts there is? The dinner bowl. Food bowls have become increasingly popular over the last few years, for the following reason: it’s easy, healthy and completely free. Better yet, everything is cuter in a bowl (according to the Wall Street Journal). So here’s the bottom line of a healthy meal bowl: this Simplest salmon bowl! Tender, seasoned fish is rounded out with rice, tender, crispy broccoli and topped with a light, creamy, bubbly sauce. Try tahini dressing or miso dressing and be prepared surprised. Here’s how to create this easy dinner idea – and some cheat options to make it even quicker.
Choose your grain: rice or other!
This recipe is designed as a salmon rice bowl, but you can use any type of whole grain you like! It’s a loose concept, much like our bean bowl: you can use almost anything. Here are some ideas, ordered from shortest to longest delay:
- Couscous: Couscous is a small, round dough that cooks in just 10 minutes. (If speed is your goal, you should also use smoked salmon! See below.)
- Rice: White rice is ready in 20 minutes, brown rice takes about 40 minutes (but you can prep and reheat beforehand!)
- Andean millet: Prepare a pot of perfectly seasoned quinoa: it’s filling and gluten-free
- Faro: Farro is another tasty whole grain that’s tough as barley
Find the best fish for a bowl of salmon
Next up: let’s talk salmon! Salmon can vary greatly in quality. You will want to find the highest quality salmon you can find. Some frozen salmon can be of poor quality and taste very fishy. How to find a good piece of salmon for this bowl of salmon:
- Fresh salmon tastes best. You can find good frozen salmon, but for the best salmon, buy it fresh at your local fish counter. Frozen also works if you can find Coho (see below).
- Buy wild salmon. Wild fish caught in your country is generally a sustainable choice. There are also quality options at well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch consumer guide.
- Coho is a good choice. We tend to like coho salmon for its mild flavor: price-wise, it’s a good, middle-of-the-road option. Sure, the king salmon is fantastic, but it’s no longer a luxury. Avoid Atlantic salmon as they are usually farmed.
Shortcuts: Use canned, smoked, or leftover salmon!
Do you want to save money and time with your salmon? Instead, use canned or smoked salmon for this salmon bowl! Here are some notes on each:
- canned salmon is the cheapest option. It has the consistency of canned tuna but tastes like salmon (yum!). Season to taste with olive oil, salt and pepper before serving.
- smoked salmon costs about the same as fresh salmon but doesn’t need to be cooked! All you have to do is put it in the bowl and it has unbelievable Taste.
- Leftover Salmon: It’s a great way to revitalize leftover salmon in a new meal!
Tip to save time: Your the fastest The recipe for a salmon bowl uses couscous and smoked salmon. You can probably make the whole meal in about 15 minutes!
Make the best roasted broccoli
What else do you need for this salmon bowl recipe? Broccoli! Broccoli is our favorite vegetable because it’s high in fiber, protein, and lots of vitamin C. There are many ways to cook broccoli, but the quickest and easiest method is this Fried Broccoli (which we make every day). And we really do that almost every day!
Give this method a try and we hope you’ll be convinced to include it in your life as an accompaniment to many meals… even outside of that bowl of salmon rice!
Cover it with a simple sauce
Last step: the sauce! This connects the entire bowl. And for us: We don’t want to have to bring out a mixer here. No, we want quick sauces! Here are our 2 favorite sauces for this bowl and then some other ideas:
- Tahini Dressing: This all-purpose tahini dressing is packed with savory and delicious flavors (Alex’s favorite)
- Miso Dressing: This miso dressing is another umami sauce with a hint of citrus (my favorite).
- Other options: Switch the mood and try our lemon dill sauce or even our white BBQ sauce
Variations on the salmon bowl: other vegetables or sauces!
There are so many ways to vary this salmon bowl! It’s really more of an idea than a recipe. But at the same time, having all the cooking methods in one place in one recipe helps (right?). Here are some additional ideas to vary this salmon bowl:
What would you serve with your salmon bowl? Let us know in the comments below!
This salmon bowl recipe is…
Gluten-free, dairy-free and pescetarian.
The description
This salmon bowl recipe is the definition of a quick and easy dinner! Mix it all up with a killer sauce and prepare to be amazed.
- 1 cup dry rice of any kind (or couscous for a quick meal)
- 1 Recipe Tahini Vinaigrette or Miso Vinaigrette
- 1 Pound wild salmon fillets, with skin*
- olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 Kilos of fresh broccoli, stalks on top (approx. 3 big heads 6 cups of stacked florets)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder (optional)
- Prepare rice: Start with the rice (go to How to Make Rice or Instant Pot Rice).
- mix sauce: Make (or prepare and chill) tahini sauce or miso sauce.
- Grill salmon**: Preheat grill to high heat. Place a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Pat each piece of salmon dry and place skin-side down on the foil. Brush the salmon with a little olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt (spread evenly among the fillets) and freshly ground pepper. Grill 4 to 5 minutes for a very thin salmon, or 7 to 10 minutes for a 1-inch-thick salmon, until just tender and pink in the center (internal temperature should be between 125 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit at the center).
- Meanwhile, prepare the broccoli: Cut the broccoli into medium-sized florets. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup water with the garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, 2 to 3 minutes, until just beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and add water and spices. Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, until fork tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and add additional salt and black pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
Remarks
* Do you want to save time and money? Use canned or smoked salmon! Season to taste with olive oil, salt and pepper for the jam. For the smoked salmon, simply crumble it into the bowl – it already tastes amazing.
**You can also pan fry the salmon if you like. Opt for seared salmon or blackened salmon.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: Gluten free
Keywords: Salmon Bowl, Recipe for Salmon Bowl, Salmon Rice Bowl
