If you're looking for a quick, healthy, and flavorful meal that's easy to make, this salmon and vegetable couscous is perfect for you! The fresh flavors of the vegetables, lemon juice, parsley, and simple seasoning perfectly complement both the salmon and couscous. Plus, this dish is easy to put together on a busy night, making it an ideal option for those who want a quick and tasty meal without sacrificing nutrition or flavor.
If you're looking for another delicious salmon recipe, check out my creamy tuscan salmon and pasta recipe!
How to Make Salmon and Vegetable Couscous
First, brown the couscous in a pan with a some olive oil until it's fragrant and lightly toasted. Set aside the couscous. Then, saute the diced yellow onion, carrots and zucchini, along with more olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Meanwhile, cook the couscous in boiling vegetable broth. Once the couscous is done, toss the vegetables in with it. Then add in some fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley to brighten up the dish.
While the couscous is cooking, prepare the salmon filets. After seasoning them with salt, wrap each individual filet up in tin foil packets and top them with a mixture of melted butter, garlic, paprika, and lemon juice. Then bake the packets in the oven until the salmon is cooked through and flaky. You can also broil the salmon at the end if you'd like.
Once everything is ready, serve the couscous and vegetables on a plate and top with a salmon fillet. The result is a beautiful, colorful dish that is both delicious and flavorful!
This meal is a healthy and delicious way to incorporate more fish and vegetables into your diet. It's unique enough to impress dinner guests, but also simple enough for a quick weeknight meal. This recipe is one of our new family favorites, as I'm sure it will be one of yours as well! Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Ingredients
Vegetable Couscous
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 1 ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- ½ large zucchini, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Baked Salmon
- 4 skinless, boneless salmon filets (about 4 oz each)
- 4 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- fine sea salt
Instructions
Vegetable Couscous
- In a large frying pan, heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the pearl couscous. Continually stir until the couscous starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Once golden, remove the couscous from the pan and set aside.
- In the same frying pan, add another ½ tablespoon of oil, plus the diced yellow onion, carrots, and zucchini. Mix in the minced garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Saute on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
- Add the vegetable broth to a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.* Add the toasted couscous to the sauce pan and cover with a lid. Turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer for about 8-10 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
- Add the sauteed veggies to the cooked couscous, along with the fresh parsley and lemon juice. Cover and set aside until ready for serving.
Salmon
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, and paprika.
- Pat each salmon filet dry and sprinkle each side with sea salt. Place each salmon filet on a separate square piece of tin foil. Evenly pour the butter mixture over the top of each fillet.
- Fold up the sides of the tin foil, covering the salmon completely. Fold over the top seam to make sure it's completely sealed.
- Place the salmon foil packets in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Timing will vary based off of the size and thickness of the salmon, so make sure that the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145° F. Some cuts of salmon will take longer to cook.
- If you'd like, you can broil the salmon as well. Once almost done cooking, open the top of each tin foil packet. Set the oven to its broil setting and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. This can dry out the salmon/overcook it, so I wouldn't recommend broiling the salmon if it's already been cooked warmer than 145° F.
- Immediately serve the salmon with the vegetable couscous and enjoy!
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