Pan Seared Salmon with Vegetables
This easy salmon dinner is crispy outside and tender inside. It’s perfect for a flavorful weeknight meal in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 294kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce regular or sodium-free
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- salt only if using low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 lb. salmon fillet with skin, recommended but optional
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- ½ red bell pepper julienned
- ½ yellow bell pepper julienned
- ½ orange bell pepper julienned
- 1 zucchini julienned
For the sauce:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 cucumber grated and strained to avoid watery sauce *see note 5 in notes section
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemon
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the salmon marinade:Add soy sauce, maple syrup, minced ginger, and minced garlic to a large mixing bowl and whisk with a fork to combine all ingredients. Stir in salt to taste, if using low-sodium soy sauce. Set aside.
- Marinate the salmon:Place the salmon fillet on a cutting board and, using a sharp chef's knife, cut the salmon into approximately 3-inch pieces. Toss the pieces into the bowl with the marinade and let stand for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the onion, bell peppers, and zucchini.
- Sear Salmon: Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, until the pan is very hot. Using cooking tongs place each piece of the marinated salmon skin side down, without overcrowding (use two skillets, if necessary). Reserve the marinade in the bowl to be used later. Sear the pieces for 4 minutes, then flip the salmon using cooking tongs or a fish spatula and sear for an additional 3 minutes, or until the salmon has browned and fully cooked (145 degrees F). Transfer the salmon to a serving platter.
- Sauté vegetables:Add the julienned vegetables to the skillet you used to sear the salmon. Sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soy sauce marinade you reserved earlier and sauté the seasoned vegetables for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring occassionally. Set aside.
- Prepare sauce (optional):In a small mixing bowl combine all sauce ingredients (see note 5 below) and whisk well with a fork.
- Place the vegetables on a serving platter, top with the salmon pieces and serve the sauce on the side to be topped over salmon.
Notes
-
- Cut the fish and vegetables uniformly, so they cook evenly
- If possible, choose fillets with the skin on and pan-sear skin side down first, to get the skin crispened
- Make sure to use a non-stick skillet so that the skin does not stick to the pan and so it's easy to flip the fish over
- Do not overcrowd the fish on the skillet, cook in batches if necessary
- When making the Tzatziki sauce do not peel the cucumber. Use the larger holes of the box grater. To strain, place the grated cucumber in a fine strainer and firmly press to strain any excess water.
- To reheat, you can use the microwave, but I like to heat it in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, in an oven-safe dish. The oven keeps the crispiness of the salmon and vegetables. Pan searing is of course also an option. Sear the vegetables first, transfer them onto a plate, and then sear the salmon and place heated salmon over the vegetables.
Nutrition
Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 1157mg | Potassium: 1067mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1169IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 2mg