One of my favorite places in my neighborhood market is this fantastic Middle Eastern market, always overflowing with fresh pita bread and naan, endless $1 spices by the scoop, and all of the nuts, grains, and everything Middle Eastern you could dream of. But more than anything, I love the great guys who run the place. And now that I live across the street, we get to see each other wonderfully often.
So yesterday when I walked over to pick up a few scoops of lentils, they of course asked what was on the menu. As soon as I mentioned “salmon”, their elderly mother who was sitting behind the counter immediately started talking a million miles an hour in her native language. Her son translated, “She says you must cook salmon and lentils this way — cumin, coriander, cilantro, salt, pepper and a nice bit of lemon juice. It is the best way. You will love it.”
So I scrapped my plans and decided to give her version of baked salmon and lentils a try. Sure enough, this sweet lady was right — this was delightful! I used the spices and some red onions to season the lentils, and ended up just cooking the baked salmon plain with some salt and pepper. And while I often find myself guilty of packing in too many extra spices, I actually loved how simple and mild this dish was. One of my friends who was iffy about salmon even gave the recipe a thumbs up when we shared it for dinner tonight. Success!
Definitely one of my new favorite baked salmon recipes. Look forward to making it again soon!
Baked Salmon & Lentils
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Description
Simple baked salmon is served with mildly-spiced lentils. A healthy and delicious dish!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 salmon filets
- half a red onion, diced
- 2 cups cooked lentils
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lemon, quartered
Instructions
- Preheat broiler. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then mist with oil or cooking spray.
- Place salmon filets on the baking sheet, and brush each with about 1 teaspoon of the oil. Season liberally with salt and black pepper. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through. (Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your salmon.)
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced red onion and saute for 2 minutes until partially cooked. Add the lentils, cumin, coriander, black pepper and salt, and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until the lentils are heated through. Remove from heat and stir in fresh cilantro.
- Serve lentils topped with the fresh salmon, sprinkled with the juice from the lemons to taste.
This was delicious! I added some shredded green cabbage and green apples to this recipe and it was a hit! My boyfriend who normally eats the stuff he doesn’t like first left this till second to last, last being the salmon.
I have dried lentils! How do I cook them?!
Was planning on making this for dinner tomorrow night.
Hey Kira! You want to make sure you sort and rinse the lentils first. Then bring 1½ cups water or stock to a boil for each cup of dried lentils. Once the liquid is boiling add the lentils, return to a boil, then bring them down to a simmer, partially covered, until they’re tender, (30 to 45 minutes). We hope that helps, and that you enjoy the recipe!
Yum this recipe looks divine!
I’m hosting a link party and would love if you would share this post!
https://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com
Merry Christmas!
xo
Daniela
Put A Bird On It
I guess it’s kind of bad that I don’t know what lentils are. Will check that out! The salmon looks amazing. :)
Whoa – do they not have lentils over there? The differences in food around the world always fascinates me! Lentils are one of my favorites — tiny little beans that take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with. Very popular in Middle Eastern food too. :)
My Saudi friends make the best salmon… they use something red….paprika?