These Mediterranean Salmon Bowls are a dream come true: an incredibly tasty take on the famous Buddha bowl, this meal is a perfect healthy lunch idea.
After a good couple of weeks spent eating every single indulgent thing I could lay my hands off (HELLO Easter time), my body has started craving some healthier, nutrient-dense food to restore some balance. Being an intuitive eater, I obliged by whipping up some very satisfying salads, vegan food and nourishing bowls. Because when I eat healthy, I don’t eat boring. I love experimenting with flavours and textures and never believed that healthy food should taste bland. And that’s exactly why this bowl came about.
Buddha bowls (or nourishing bowls) have been in the game for quite a while and should represent the ultimate healthy and colourful meal. With good amounts of complex carbs, fats and protein, they aim to be one of the most balanced lunch options out there. They are all the rage on Instagram, where people have been getting super creative and have been dishing out some bowls that are so artistic and stunning that I would feel bad eating them. Now, I am not going to pretend that I followed the exact rules and had the right measurements for each component of the bowl, nor did I spend hours making them a stunning work of art, but I like to think that I have managed to create a healthy, satisfying lunch bowl. And to be honest with you, I think that’s the main aim of a Buddha bowl anyway. Here is a breakdown of the main components of this Mediterranean Salmon Bowl along with possible substitutions in times of quarantine.
THE BOWL:
Pesto Quinoa: for a very long time, I really did not get the hype of quinoa. This “super-food” seemed to have magical properties, from keeping you full and satisfied for hours to give you a staggering amount of protein compared to other options like rice. And yet, it tasted soooo bland. And sometimes even bitter. But then I had a great quinoa salad in London which totally converted me and, after a bit of experimentation, I am confident to say that I nailed the quinoa game. What I find important with quinoa is flavouring, and this one here bursts with Mediterranean flavours thanks to the creamy basil pesto, Kalamata olives and sundried tomatoes. Quinoa is also a controversial food because of its devastating impact on Peruvian farming communities and I tend to use it sparingly. For this reason, and also for its non-affordable price, feel free to swap it for cooked couscous, spelt or pearl barley (all of which will taste great with the same pesto dressing).
Crispy Potatoes: it’s sad to see how often potatoes get a bad rep. They are often considered a “bad starch” or “bad carb” - aka unhealthy and loaded with calories. I could not disagree more. Potatoes are a great source of selenium and make every dish feel more comforting and filling. I always bake them at a high temperature (normally around 200°C) and coat them in some extra virgin olive oil to make them super crispy without needing to fry them. These are lovely and fragrant, coated in garlic powder and paprika. Other herbs or spices combos you can use are: rosemary and garlic powder, smoked paprika and onion powder, chilli powder, paprika and garlic powder. Here I use new potatoes, but any other potato you can find will pretty much do. Cooking time might vary though.
Salmon: a source of protein, healthy fats and a ton more nutrients, I bloody love salmon. Here I baked two salmon fillets in foil for 10-12 minutes, coating them in lemon juice, garlic powder, chilli flakes and mixed herbs. By cooking it in tin foil the salmon is juicy and tender and you could mistake it for being poached. If you want it crispy you can bake it without foil or pan fry it.
Additional toppings: I love adding some feta cheese (but that’s because I would sprinkle feta pretty much over everything), some extra Kalamata olives and three slices of avocado each. Again, feel free to leave the avocado out if you’d rather not have it. You can also add some greens. This bowl works great with some pan fried fine beans or some steamed broccoli. A good handful of baby spinach will also work wonders. So yep, experiment and find the combos you love most.
This bowl might sound complicated, but with a step-by-step method it’s actually pretty straightforward. I normally make a double batch of every item so that I can keep them in the fridge for a few days and throw these bowls together in minutes when I want to enjoy them. For these sort of meals, meal prep is always my dearest friend.
Ingredienst:
Makes two bowls
For the salmon:
2 small salmon fillets
2 generous tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp mixed herbs
Salt to taste
For the quinoa:
100 gr uncooked quinoa
3 tbsp pesto
7-8 sundried tomatoes
1 tbsp sundried tomatoes’ oil from the jar (optional)
1 vegetable stock cube
10 Kalamata olives
For the potatoes:
6 -7 new potatoes
½ tsp garlic powder
½ heaped tsp paprika
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Extra toppings:
30 gr feta cheese
Extra Kalamata olives
Avocado
Method:
Rinse and drain the quinoa and then cook it according to package instructions (or according to this recipe), adding a crumbled vegetable stock cube to the pot (it gives the quinoa an amazing flavour).
Once cooked, leave the quinoa to cool down for 10 minutes or so. Finely chop the Kalamata olives and the sundried tomatoes and add them to the quinoa along with the pesto and the sundried tomatoes’ oil. Mix well and transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. In the meantime, turn your oven on to 200°C.
Peel and chop the new potatoes into big chunks (about one inch big). Transfer the potatoes to a baking tin and add the olive oil, garlic powder, paprika and salt (I normally use ¼ tsp salt). Mix everything together until the potatoes are fully coated and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, turning them after 20. For extra crispiness, make sure you place the potatoes on the top rack of your oven.
In the meantime, make your salmon. Transfer each fillet to a tin foil sheet and coat with the lemon juice and sprinkle half the spices and herbs per salmon piece. Wrap and seal the foil around the fillets, so that you obtain two sealed tin foil “bags”.
Add to another baking tray and, after having turned the potatoes, transfer them to a lower rack in the oven, so that you can bake both the potatoes and the salmon at the same time. Bake your salmon for 10 to 12 minutes, so that when the potatoes are ready, so is your salmon.
Get two serving bowls and add a few generous tablespoons each of quinoa to make the “bed” of your bowl. Then add the potatoes and the salmon. Top with feta, extra olives and avocado.
You can store each bowl component individually in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? Have you got any questions? We would love to hear from you! Let us know by leaving a comment below! Xx
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