Featured comment
I just made this for dinner and IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!! I cannot even describe how unique the flavor was and just how flavorful it was–even with the simple dressing! The texture of the lentils mixed with the quinoa was SO GOOD ahhh so good
Guys! It’s perfect baked salmon!
with black lentils because they’re adorably little and richly colored and delicious, and then lemon herb sauce because it’s spring and I can’t stop with the lemon herb everything. gahhhh I love this meal!
You know when you’re sitting down at night to read a book that you’ve REALLY been wanting to read, like, it’s been on your book list for forever and a day, and you settle in for some good reading at 10pm and you fall asleep before getting to the end of the page?
That is my reading life. Especially when it comes to nonfiction, memoirs, self help, and that whole boring crew. Not to brag or anything but my binge reading game is actually pretty strong – think Hunger Games, Gone Girl, and other mind candy books. However, for those non-fiction books on my want-to-be-a-smart-person reading list? Let’s just say the average finish time for these books should be recorded in years. YEARS. Like if this thing happens before 2020, I’m doing alright.
Enter my latest obsession not related to food but I do have a connection here –> audio books. You guys. I’m listening to those want-to-be-a-smart-person books on my way to the studio every day. 20 minutes there and 20 minutes home is 40 minutes which means I have basically become a READING MACHINE. I can get through a book in about a week. WHAT! This is amazing.
Currently reading: The Body Book by Cameron Diaz.
I’m not even exaggerating when I say that the inspiration for this super simple, super healthy, perfect baked salmon one-pot meal was literally just listening to Cameron Diaz talk to me about the health benefits of lentils on my way to work.
I parked the car at the grocery store, walked up into Whole Foods (God bless Whole Foods – I’m a new-ish grocery shopper there now that we’re located close to one and it is absolutely everything I stereotyped it to be and more), and bee-lined for the salmon and lentils.
All that to say – this delicious meal brought to you by an AUDIO BOOK! Also I’m 75 at heart.
Perfect baked salmon + lentils + quinoa all cooked together in one big pan? This recipe is a little outside my normal food brain space, but, besides a few takeout sushi runs (#hadto), it’s been my sole sustaining food for the last two weeks.
Here’s why it’s perfect.
- It’s a meal all in one pan. Perfect baked salmon, yes. But also lentils, rice, quinoa, vegetables, whatever you want, really, all up in the same pan with the salmon. It’s very one-and-done in terms of preparation.
- ONE DISH to wash. Hello. ONE. DISH.
- Sauce or seasoning? very changeable depending on what strikes your fancy in the moment. But you’re probably having an epically long moment with lemon herb sauces too, right?
- It requires zero hands-on time. We’re not sautéing or whisking or even really chopping anything here. Just poppin in the oven and that’s it.
I would consider this a minimalist approach to dinner because, in very basic terms, you put everything in a pan and bake it. No extra steps. No extra dishes to wash. And now you’re done, and you’ve got perfectly baked salmon with tons of flavor and a pan full of other nutritious deliciousness and all of it together makes a mish-mash rainbow meal that you will want to keep eating again and again.
If we can break the rules for a second here, you might even find yourself wanting to eat this for breakfast the next morning. Maybe adding an egg in the spirit of creating something between THIS and a healing bowl.
Er, wait, I don’t know. Did we cross a line there?
Just… start with dinner, okay?
Start with dinner.
Perfect Baked Salmon 101:
- If you want to go the black lentils route (do it! do it! do it!) you can order them online here.
- I am having a weird obsession with sauerkraut right now, especially purple sauerkraut. My current fave is a brand called Spirit Creek Farm and I bought it at Whole Foods, but you can also grab it online (HERE) because this is a strangely wonderful world.
- Here’s The Body Book which inspired this recipe.
Perfect Baked Salmon with Lentils and Lemon Herb Sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Perfect Baked Salmon with Lentils, Quinoa, and Lemon Herb Sauce – super healthy, high protein, bakes all in one big easy dish. This stuff is SO DELICIOUS!
Ingredients
- 1 cup black lentils
- 1 cup red quinoa
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 12 ounces salmon
- 2–3 cups green beans or other vegetables
- 1 cup purple sauerkraut if you’re into the weird food zone like I am
Lemon Herb Sauce:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- generous pinch of salt (to taste)
- quick squeeze of honey or agave (to taste)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- LENTILS AND QUINOA: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the lentils and the quinoa. Place in a large oven safe skillet or casserole with the broth. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until almost fully cooked. Remove and fluff with a fork.
- SAUCE: Make the lemon dressing by blending all ingredients in a food processor or just shaking up in a jar. Set about half of the dressing aside.
- SALMON: When the lentils and quinoa are done, place the salmon and any other vegetables you want on top of the lentils (skin side down) and drizzle or brush with half of the lemon dressing. Bake for another 10 minutes. Broil for the last 2 minutes. Depending on how thick the salmon is, if it still needs time, just turn off the oven and let it sit in there for a few minutes to finish.
- SERVE: When the salmon is fully cooked, serve with reserved sauce and purple sauerkraut if you like that kind of crazy.
Notes
Some vegetables will cook just fine in 10 minutes in a hot oven, but others won’t. If you’re using something that’s going to require more time like sweet potatoes, I would suggest par-boiling them before sending them to the oven. Veggies that work great – green beans, asparagus, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas… etc.
I’m okay with less, but you may want more salmon per serving – for a full 3 ounces per serving, go for a total of 15-20 ounces vs. 12 ounces as written.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: baked salmon recipe, lentils, lemon herb sauce
Last plug – you must download a book-listening app and give the audio book world a try (try Audible – they give you your first book free) and then you also must leave me comments telling me what other books you love. I am now devouring books at a rate that my little mind can’t even handle and I’m running out of book recs.
Note: this post contains affiliate links for products we recommend.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best healthy winter recipes page. Check it out!
This was a huge no, I’m sorry to report. 12 ounces of salmon feeds 2 people, not 6. The lentils and quinoa did cook up very nicely in the oven, although they were fully cooked well before the stated time in the recipe (probably done in 35-40 minutes). And the lemon sauce was just not good.
I just tried this recipe and it was a game-changer! The salmon was perfectly flaky, and the lemon herb sauce added such a bright flavor. The lentils made it feel hearty and satisfying. Definitely adding this to my regular rotation—thank you for sharing!
I really loved this recipe! I typically do not eat lentils at all, although I’ve eaten red lentils before. This recipe REALLY hits the spot. The lemon sauce goes so well with the lentils, since they absorb it from the salmon. The salmon tastes great, too! I made this recipe with asparagus (I don’t like green beans). My husband wasn’t the biggest fan of the lentils/quinoa, but he thought it was alright
Making this now and it does not mention covering the lentils and quinoa while baking. Hope for a quick clarification.
thanks!
I cooked this with green lentils and white quinoa and it cooked up just fine according to the directions.
What you do want to do, though, is double the sauce because we wanted to drown the quinoa/lentils in it! So good!
Hello! At what point do you add the green beans to the dish? At the same as the salmon?
Correct, in step 3!
This is fabulous!!!! So simple and yet it looks like I spent a lot of time making it, perfect!!!! I have friends who love this meal and I’m making it for them right now, probably about the sixth time making it and it’s always wonderful!
This is so good! The lentil quinoa mix was a little crunchy which was very good and the salmon was cooked perfectly! Next time I will make it with 20oz of salmon.
This looks amazing! If black lentils and red quinoa are something I cannot easily find at my store, will regular lentils and quinoa work the same?
Absolutely! Enjoy, Cori!
Should the casserole be covered while the quinoa and lentils cook?
No need to cover the dish!
LOVE this dish! So easy to make and even my extremely picky boyfriend and my just as picky 3.5 year old daughter loved it and gobbled it all up. Saving this recipe in my “must make again” file!
Lindsay – just want to say thank you so much for this recipe (weird kraut food zone included) because I made it for dinner tonight and have made it regularly for years (sometimes I use the TJs pre-made lentils tho because: life is also weird and way too busy). Such a fantastic recipe, you are a treasure! Thanks again!
Oh my goodness was this sooo good! That perfect balance of healthy but also super tasty! I want to eat this blend of quinoa and lentils every single day. What a nice way to mix up a starch with a salmon dish. The pickled cabbage was a really great addition too!
This recipe looks like it would be good….but it doesn’t work. The flavor combo is bad, but that’s not the worst part. Putting uncooked fish on your bed of grains just makes them taste like uncooked fish. The result? Soggy salmon (no nice crispy skin), under cooked veggies, and an overwhelming taste of fishiness. I get the want to only use one pan, but the reward in clean up is not worth the sacrifice.
Sorry to hear that, Eva. We appreciate the feedback you’ve shared!
I’d constantly want to be update on new articles on this internet
site, saved to favorites!
BRILLIANT! Thank you!
Wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
Spokane Interior Design
I don’t have quinoa on hand, should I just double the amount of lentils?
We think that’d work just fine. Enjoy, Theresa!
This looks SO good, what a great idea!
I made the salmon with black lentils and red quinoa (and followed your recipe exactly-made green beans, bought the beet/ginger sauerkraut from Whole Foods) to serve to friends last night. It was amazing and was so easy! I can’t wait to make it again. Thanks!
The one-pot really hooked me so I tried this for a family dinner last night. Doubled the recipe and used 2 pounds of salmon along with kale and green beans. What a hearty, savory meal! Not to mention heart and brain healthy. The grandkids even cleaned their plates! The lemon sauce was the clincher.
Question the recipe did not answer: For the first step, do you cover the pan in the oven or not? And do green beans really roast in ten minutes? I didn’t trust that so I steamed them lightly first and then put them in.
I have made this numerous times and it is always a big hit. Comes out perfect every time! Love it!
OMG! This is fabulous! I sautéed a mix of baby greens in garlic & olive oil ( my fave) and layered it over the grains then topped it w salmon.
I am a big fan of sauerkraut but have found a fresh red cabbage & garlic from Gracie’s Garden that pairs so well with this recipe. Thank you❤️
This recipe looks amazingly wonderful and I’d like to give it a go … but … is this really sufficient for 6 servings? Or, am I misunderstanding something? (Want to cook for 7 adults and 2 children)
OMG I made this to share with my 93 yr old Mom today. The crunchiness of the quinoa & lentils was perfect! Used baby asparagus and the lemon sauce was so tasty with the salmon & veggies. One note however, the amount of grain was way more than needed. Next time I wil make just half.