Salmon Quinoa Bowl

A large meal-sized serving of salmon quinoa salad on a plate.

This protein-packed Salmon Quinoa Bowl combines roasted vegetables with nutty quinoa, fresh avocado, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette.

Course Dinner, Sides

Cuisine American

Keyword salmon quinoa bowl, salmon quinoa salad, healthy quinoa bowl

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 15

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 389kcal

Author Jamie

Ingredients

1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa rinsed
2 ¼ - 2 ⅔ cups water or vegetable broth for cooking quinoa
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 5- ounce pieces of salmon
1 pound asparagus rough ends snapped off
1 medium red onion halved and cut into 1 cm thick slices
2 heads of garlic
1-2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
1 medium avocado diced

Dressing

1 medium lemon zested and juiced
2 teaspoons brown mustard
3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Quinoa: Make the quinoa by any method you like and allow to cool before combining with the salad ingredients.
Instant Pot: I use the instant pot by adding quinoa and 2 ¼ cups of vegetable broth to the pot. Then stir to prevent sticking and set for 3 minutes on high pressure. When finished cooking, allow the steam to release naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure and fluffing the quinoa with a fork.
Stove top: Add quinoa and 2 ⅔ cups of water or broth to a medium saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and allow to cool, partially covered.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use some of the oil to generously grease two large baking sheets. Then arrange the salmon, asparagus, and red onion pieces in a single layer across the two sheets. Brush or toss with the remaining oil until everything is lightly coated in oil.
Prep garlic for roasting: Peel the outer papery layers of the bulb so each clove is visible (you do not need to peel each clove). Use a sharp knife to slice the very top off of the cloves (the pointy end, not the root end). Place the clove in a roughly 8x8 inch square of aluminum foil lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the clove with olive oil so each cut surface is coated, then wrap gently in parchment paper covered in foil so it is completely enclosed.
Bake: Bake the garlic and items on the sheet pan in the oven for 11-15 minutes. When done, the salmon should be cooked through and easily flake with a fork with an internal temperature of 145 degrees F at the thickest part. The asparagus stalks should be softened with crisp fluffy ends, and the onions should be softened and lightly caramelized. If needed, remove cooked items from the pan and return anything that needs more cooking time back into the oven until done.
Spinach: Drop the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and allow the garlic to continue roasting for 30 more minutes. While the pan with the fish and vegetables is still hot, add spinach and mix around in the oil to allow it to wilt a bit.
Dressing: While the salmon and vegetables are baking, mix the lemon juice, zest, extra oil (if any) and other dressing ingredients together in a jar.
Make bite-sized pieces: Flake the fish into small bite-sized pieces with a fork. Using kitchen scissors, cut the asparagus into roughly 2 inch pieces and reduce the size of any large pieces of red onion.
Assemble: Combine quinoa, salmon, and veggies in a bowl or pot. Then add the avocado and dressing. When the garlic is finished roasting, slice 8-10 large cloves into thin disks and add them to the pot. Gently mix everything together and serve.

Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers since the asparagus will get soggy.

Leftovers: Leftovers are delicious served cold or warmed. If you plan to warm it up, add avocado and dressing only when you plan to eat that portion.

Nutrition