Salmon with warm lentils and salsa verde
24 min · 46 g protein · 431 cals / serving
Crisp-skinned wild sockeye salmon on warm, earthy Puy lentils with shallot, cherry tomatoes and wilted spinach, with a sharp green salsa verde of parsley, basil, mint, capers and anchovy spooned over the top. A bistro plate from two pouches of cooked lentils, in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Salsa verde
- 1 cup leaves fresh parsley, finely chopped
- a small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
- a few sprigs fresh mint, leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
- 2 fillets anchovies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp red wine vinegar, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin, divided
- 3 tbsp water, divided
Warm lentils
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced (a little for the salsa verde)
- 2 (9 oz) pouches cooked Puy or green lentils green lentils
- 1 1/3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 1/2 oz (3 handfuls) baby spinach
- 4 wild sockeye fillets (1 1/3 lb) sockeye salmon, skin on; frozen is fine, thawed
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Steps
- Make the salsa verde: chop the parsley, basil, mint, capers, anchovies and a little of the garlic together until fine (or pulse in a mini chopper). Stir in the mustard, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the water. Capers and anchovies bring the salt, so taste before adding any.
- Warm 1 teaspoon of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and soften the shallot and the rest of the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, the remaining 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt and heat for 4 minutes, stirring, until hot and the tomatoes soften. Stir in the spinach until it wilts and the remaining vinegar, and keep warm.
- Meanwhile pat the salmon very dry and season with the rest of the salt and the pepper. Heat the last teaspoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and cook the salmon skin side down, pressing it flat for the first few seconds, for 5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the fish is nearly cooked through. Flip and cook 1–2 minutes more (2–3 for thick farmed fillets), until it reads 145°F.
- Spoon the lentils into shallow bowls, set the salmon on top skin side up and spoon the salsa verde over. Eat straight away; leftover lentils and salsa verde (without the fish) keep 3 days in the fridge and make a good cold salad.
Good to know
Can I cook the lentils from dry?
Yes, but it takes longer: simmer 1 cup of dry Puy lentils in plenty of water for 20–25 minutes, drain and carry on. That makes it a 45-minute dinner.
Can I make the salsa verde ahead?
Up to 3 days in the fridge, covered; the herbs darken a little but the flavor holds. Bring it back to room temperature so the oil loosens. It is also good on grilled chicken, eggs and roast vegetables.
Can I use farmed salmon?
Yes, and its fatty skin crisps even better, at about 56 instead of 67.
Per
- Calories
- 117
- Protein
- (44%)
- 12 g
- Fat
- (32%)
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- (24%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 243 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1724 kcal goes into the pot and 1623 g of ingredients comes out as about 1470 g of food: 117 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.