Roasted Salmon with Braised Lentils
Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Thyme served over Braised French Green Lentils- a simple healthy weeknight dinner recipe!
PREP TIME: 15 min
COOK TIME: 45 min
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
YIELD: 4
Roasted Salmon with Braised French Green Lentils- a simple healthy weeknight dinner recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
1- 1 1/2 lbs salmon (4-6 salmon fillets -skinless)
Salmon Marinade:
2–3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard (or Dijon mustard)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
Braised French Lentils:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced ( or sub 1 large leek)
1 cup diced celery (or fennel bulb)
1 cup diced carrot ( or beet!)
3–4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1 1/2 cups French Green Lentils (Le Puy, or small black lentils- beluga, caviar, etc. )
1/4 cup sherry wine, red wine, white wine, marsala wine (or skip it and add 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar at the end)
4 cups veggie or chicken stock ( or water and 1 bouillon cubes)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard- whole grain or dijon (optional)
4–5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 bay leaves
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat heat oven to 325F. (Or see notes for grilling)
Marinate the Salmon: Pat the salmon dry. Make the marinade by combining all in a small bowl. Brush a little marinade on the bottom sides of salmon, place on parchment-lined sheet pan, then spoon the remaining over top, to form a thin layer. Set aside. When lentils are halfway through cooking, bake salmon in a 325 F oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness. (Or grill!)
Make the lentils: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and stir 4-5 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium. Cook 4-5 more minutes and add the garlic and lentils. Cook 2 minutes stirring. Add the wine. Let this cook-off, about 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, salt, and mustard and stir until combined and bring to a good simmer. Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, cover and gently simmer on low heat 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender. When the lentils are tender, uncover and cook off any extra liquid ( or feel free to drain). Remove the thyme sprigs, taste and adjust salt. A tiny little splash of red wine vinegar livens them up.
Assemble: Place a cupful of lentils in a wide shallow pasta bowl, top with the salmon and veggie of your choice, and drizzle with a little olive oil, (or leek oil, gremolata!) top with a sprig of fresh thyme. Dig in!
NOTES:
Elevate this further when entertaining, with a drizzle of Leek oil, Gremolata- delicious here! Serve with Simple Sauteed Greens, or a roasted or steamed veggie like broccolini or Brussel sprouts.
To serve with a veggie– feel free to roast them in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Or for a quick fix, steam the veggie, right over the lentils for 5-6 minutes at the end.
Leftover Lentils can be frozen for later use, or refrigerated and made into a salad the next day- adding fresh veggies and a simple vinaigrette. Or use for breakfast, warmed on toast, with Sauteed Greens, a poached egg and an herby green sauce like gremolata or Leek oil. YUM.
GRill: To grill salmon, heat grill over medium-low heat with a packet of wood chips. (Applewood is nice here) Place salmon on a grill pan, close the lid and let the smoke infuse the salmon, checking for doneness after 10 minutes or up to 20 depending on thickness. Whole filets take longer, while individual portions cook faster.
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Serving Size: 4 ounces salmon (see Braised Lentil post for Nutrition info)Calories: 245Sugar: 0.1 gSodium: 444.7 mgFat: 15.8 gSaturated Fat: 2.4 gCarbohydrates: 0.8 gFiber: 0.2 gProtein: 25.4 gCholesterol: 57.9 mg