Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 large avocado
- 2 cups packed arugula
- 2 large or 3 medium roasted peppers
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche or see the notes for substitutes
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
- 2 spring onions
- 1 lemon about 2 tbsp of lemon juice and zest
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the crème fraîche dressing by combining 1/2 cup of creme fraiche, 1 tbsp freshly minced dill, 2 spring onions (finely chopped), 1 tbsp lemon juice, the zest from one lemon, 2 tbsp cold water, 1 garlic clove minced, and a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Set it aside until the bowl is ready to assemble.
- Cook the quinoa. First, rinse the quinoa. Add it to a pot with 2 cups of boiling water (over medium heat) and a pinch of salt. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-low so that the quinoa is simmering, and put a lid on. Simmer until all the water has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). Then, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and mix it until it’s melted. Put the lid back on and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork afterward.
- Pan-fry the salmon. You can cook the salmon while waiting for the quinoa to rest. First, pat dry the salmon fillets and season them with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Then, heat up a skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, turn the heat down to medium and add 1 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets (skin-side down if using skin-on salmon) and cook to your preference.If using skin-on salmon fillets (of about 4.5oz/130g each), I cook them for about 4-5 minutes skin side down and then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. If using skinless salmon fillets (of about 4.5oz/130g each), I cook them for 3-4 minutes on each side.One minute before the salmon is cooked, add butter, garlic, and lemon juice and bathe the salmon in the melted butter mixture.
- Assemble the salmon quinoa bowl. First, add the quinoa to four bowls (about 3/4 cup of cooked quinoa per bowl). Then, add the pan-fried salmon (drizzling the lemon-garlic butter sauce over the top of the salmon), sliced avocado, a handful of arugula, and sliced roasted pepper.
- Drizzle the herby crème fraîche on top of the bowl and serve.
Notes
1. Crème Fraîche – for this particular recipe, the best substitute would be full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream if you don’t have crème fraîche.
2. Dill – fresh dill works best, but in a pinch, you can substitute with dried dill (using only 1 tsp of dried dill).
3. Spring Onions – A good substitute here would be fresh chives.