Mediterranean salmon and vegetable quinoa recipe is a healthy protein-packed meal! Earthy spices roasted lemons and fresh vegetables in each bite.
One ingredient that I always use to brighten up dishes is lemons. I never leave an inch of zest behind because it adds so much more flavor and aroma than just the zippy juice alone. Mediterranean meals are the best way to showcase springtime because the cuisine is naturally simple and packed with vegetables.
I’m so excited to share this spiced salmon and vegetable quinoa recipe with you! It has been my go-to weekday meal because it takes under an hour and requires minimal effort. Chop, simmer, broil and you’ve got a protein and vegetable-packed dinner all in one bowl. Don’t blink otherwise you’ll miss how I make this wonderful meal, just for you!
I have a salmon obsession. It’s mild in flavor with a buttery textured flesh from the healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids naturally in the seafood. This flaky fish infuses flavors quite well and contains healthy vitamins. There are also minerals in the protein that makes for a nutritional meal.
There are many varieties of salmon which vary in color from red to orange, and some fattier than others. I typically choose Atlantic salmon if I want a creamier texture and wild Alaskan when it’s available for a leaner choice. I’ve been making miso-glazed salmon in rotation with this spiced salmon dish to switch things up.
I enjoy broiling or baking the salmon because it doesn’t need much oil if any at all, reducing those extra unwanted calories or soggy bites. The best part of this method is you can add robustly, earthy spices to give a punch of flavor! I used a blend of cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper for a spiced crispy crust on the surface of the salmon, it’s insanely good!
Do you cook quinoa? If not, how come? It’s an amazing gluten-free super grain that can be done as fast as rice or pasta but with added benefits.
Quinoa is packed with protein, minerals, and vitamins. I love how it cooks into light and fluffy grains with a slightly nutty flavor and doesn’t make you feel bloated after eating. It’s easy to make quinoa a little more tasty and exciting. I added ripe cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and lemon zest.
I am so ready to dig in, how about you? Don’t forget about those oven-roasted lemons to squeeze all over the salmon. The broiling causes the acids to mellow out a bit, so the juice has wonderful citrus flavors without the pucker. Each forkful of flaky spiced salmon and vegetable quinoa will make you yearn for a Mediterranean vacation. What’s your favorite way to cook salmon?
Recipe Science
What are the benefits of cooking with Quinoa?
Quinoa is a small seed from South America and is a nutrient-dense super grain. You can find them in various colors from yellow, red and black. The more color, the more antioxidants! I have concluded that the flavor doesn’t change much by color. This little seed is unique because it’s a source of complete protein. 1 cup provides 8 grams of protein which is phenomenal! Quinoa also offers an excellent source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, lysine plus some vitamin E and B. I’ve added cooked quinoa to meatballs and black bean burgers for a healthy and yummy, nutrient boost! (Source: Superfood Snacks by Julie Morris)
Mediterranean Salmon and Vegetable Quinoa
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup english cucumbers, diced, seeded
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- 4 basil leaves, thinly sliced
- zest of one lemon
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan with a lid, bring 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups of water, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil.
- Cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking about 20 minutes or according to package directions until quinoa is light and fluffy.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 5 minutes covered before serving.
- Right before serving mix in the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, basil, and lemon zest. Meanwhile, make the salmon.
- In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika.
- Line a sheet pan or glass dish with foil and lightly grease with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
- Transfer salmon fillets to the pan and evenly coat the surface of each fillet with about ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture.
- Place the lemon wedges at the edges of the pan.
- Broil on high with the rack placed in the lower third of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until salmon is cooked and flakes apart easily with a fork.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve with roasted lemon wedges and vegetable quinoa.
Recipe Video
Equipment
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Jo says
Fantastic and healthy recipe! I air fried the salmon because of time and cleanup. This is a keeper!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for making the recipe! I love that you air fried the salmon.
Murielle Curcio says
This recipe turned out sub par. The seasoning was dominated by the cumin and a little bitter. The tomato quinoa side salad didn’t complement the salmon.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Murielle- I appreciate your feedback and taking the time to try the salmon recipe. You can always reduce the amount of cumin if you found the amount bitter. I really love serving this dish with my Meditteranean couscous salad as another option. Let me know if you give it another try!
Greg Divine says
Jessica this recipe was absolutely wonderful! I made it as written and can’t wait to make it again . It had me at Salmon, well and Quinoa. I’ve loved Salmon since I first had it on Kodiak Island in Alaska. It’s my favorite fish . I’ve added this to my Favorites and am thinking about maybe some Capers or possibly Kalamata Olives with the Salmon next time. What are your thoughts?
Jessica Gavin says
I definitely think you could add capers or olives to add a briny flavor to the quinoa.
Gena B says
I had leftover salmon, which is rare at our house! So I used this recipe and used a shallot and garlic since my red onions were mush. Wilted some greens to add as well. So delicious and healthy! Thank you.
Ernie says
This is a simple colourful and very tasty recipe. Thank you for sharing Jessica.
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome, Ernie!
Barbara says
It’s an absolutely delicious combo…could use just a little juice on the veggies, any recommendations (I added EVOO & lemon juice)?
Jessica Gavin says
I like that you added some olive oil and lemon juice! You could also drizzle a little of your favorite balsamic dressing, or mix the olive oil and lemon juice with some red wine vinegar and put on top, or toss the veggies in it first.
Diana says
I made this tonight for dinner for hubby and me and we loved it! I cut down the recipe to serve only the two of us, but we still have some leftover quinoa that I’ll enjoy for lunch tomorrow.
Jessica Gavin says
So happy that you enjoyed the salmon recipe, and have more to enjoy the next day!
Ayesha B says
Haven’t made it yet, but I’m on a weight loss journey. Can’t eat any type of rice nor any tomatoes. Is quinoa a good substitute instead of rice, and switching out tomatoes for broccoli a good thing?
Jessica Gavin says
I love quinoa because it’s satisfying and high in protein. A great substitute for rice! Yes, you can add broccoli instead of tomatoes. Good luck with your journey!
Tim E says
Made this last night– the spice mix for the salmon was terrific! The quinoa, however, was woefully underseasoned. Next time we’ll add feta and more lemon.
Jessica Gavin says
I appreciate your feedback, Tim! Great idea to add more feta and lemon to the quinoa.
Jo says
We did that! Thank you for the tip 🙂 Also added a little EVOO and red wine vinegar to the Quinoa 🙂
Barbara says
This was so good . . . and so easy to make. The only change I made was to add a little Tumeric. The whole dish was delicious. Will be making this one again very soon.
Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
I love the addition of turmeric, Barbara!
jess lahti says
yummy! i used the whole spice blend on my salmon fillets. paired very well. the basil was my favorite honestly, never would have thought quinoa (which i cooked in partly veg broth) and basil would be bomb?
Jessica Gavin says
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the combo of flavors!
Tamara B says
I absolutely loved this recipe. It was full of color and flavor. The roasted lemons were a nice touch. I also added a sprinkle of capers to the top of the salmon. It was perfection.
Thank you
Jessica Gavin says
I love the addition of capers!
Deb says
So delicious…I added a fair amount of feta. I thought spice level was just right. Next time salad it up with spinach and artichoke.
Jessica Gavin says
I love the variations to the salad!
Lorette Beylefeld says
Delicious – Your spice mix for the salmon was fantastic. Only used half the cumin and my kids that don’t eat fish approved and wanted more.
Ruth Luevanos says
My husband and I loved this recipe. Refreshing, healthy, and easy to make. Thank you. This will be a keeper.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Ruth!
Kathy says
Was delicious – I used some Salmon and some Cod – both were fantastic with your spices. I cut the cumin in half and used 1/2 teaspoon of Coriander also. I CUT the Salt to just a tiny sprinkle in water for cooking quinoa – I need LOW Sodium and I figure fish would be enough. This was an amazing dish. I had leftover quinoa and told my husband it would be great cold and added to a toss salad.
Greg says
We have made this recipe many times, easily the best salmon meal ever. Our daughter and son in law are foodies and say it’s the best they have ever had. Thanks for sharing!
Abby says
Made this tonight and it was so wonderful! Definitely will be making this again soon!
Cindy says
How long does it keep as a leftover?
Jessica Gavin says
The fish will keep well for 2 days.
Newbie says
I am new at cooking salmon.
The recipe and comments say nothing about the salmon skin. Do you remove the skin before cooking? If not, cook salmon skin side down or skin side up….or what?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi There! You can cook with the skin on, skin side down. Just remove the salmmon from the skin before serving by using a spatula to release the flesh.
Jennifer says
We made this tonight and it’s one of our favorite new recipes. Amazing!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback Jennifer!
Audrey says
Could this be grilled? Plan on using a large fillet. And I prefer to grill. Suggestions?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can definitely grill the salmon. I like to cut them into smaller individual fillets or put it on a cedar plank if you cook one large fillet.
Jia says
Literally JUST made this and am eating it right now! It’s absolutely delicious and will definitely make again soon
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo hoo! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe Jia!
Vivienne says
Love this recipe- so simple and tastes amazing
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Vivienne!
Meredith says
Going to try this with a larger piece of salmon (next time will buy filets) so I hope it still works!
Karen says
Trying this with pickerel instead of salmon (Its what I have in the freezer) It looks incredible.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you! Let me know how it tastes 🙂
Jill R. says
Hi! I tried this on Friday night for my family–it was SO delicious and filling! Just a question–it was my first time broiling salmon and it took much much longer than the 8-10 minutes. I tried baking my leftover uncooked filet and it was not nearly as good as the broiled version (but still pretty tasty ha!).
At what temperature should I broil the salmon next time? I’m thinking it may not have been a high enough temp.
Jessica Gavin says
Great question Jill! I broil my salmon on the “High” setting. Sometimes the broiler will toggle on and off, so if you need more time just check every few minutes. I definitely like my salmon broiled better too! I have baked salmon at high heat to give it more of a crust at 400F.
Mary says
Love this..YUM!
Lynette says
This is such an amazing recipe! Simple, healthy yet tasty and satisfying. Just made it for the first time and it definitely won’t be the last!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Lynette!
Candi says
Good, simple recipe. I also added red peppers to the quinoa and drizzled a simple balsamic vinaigrette over it. Very tasty!
Zaina says
Thsnks for the healthy recipe!!! Looks good.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Zaina!
Cecilia Richter says
The spices overpower the salmon and the quinoa is bland.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Cecilia! You could always cut back on the seasoning on the salmon and add more salt a pepper to the quinoa to your liking. I hope you give it a try again 🙂
Me says
Well of course she cooks to her liking. You’re supposed to take the recipe and tweak it to YOUR liking. That’s why you try while your cooking so you know its good.
Ginny Johnson says
Just made this tonight and hubby and I loved it! Used tricolor quinoa that I rinsed really well before cooking. Didn’t have fresh salmon so used my frozen files from Wegmans, just made sure to thaw first. Delicious and healthy. Winner.
Jessica Gavin says
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the salmon recipe Ginny! I love the tricolor quinoa from Trader joe’s. Great way to improvise with the frozen fillets!
Souline says
Jessica,
My husband and I love this recipe and I am going to cook it again when my daughter comes home next month.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Souline! It is so wonderful to hear from you! I love that you are getting in the kitchen and making yummy meals for the family. I’m happy that your family enjoyed the salmon recipe! Please keep writing to me so I can hear about you and your cooking adventures!
Pamela says
Looks good, can’t wait to try it! Quick question, is 5-6 oz, referring to each fillet or is it for all 4 fillets?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Pamela! 5-6 ounce per fillet. They are generous portions so you could go 3-4 ounces for smaller portions 🙂
John says
Love this recipe
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you John!
Wayne says
I saw this recipe on the I’d Rather Be A Chef blog, and I have got to say that the salman looks oh, so incredibly good! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Wayne! Looking forward to hearing what you think about the recipe. Thank you for the comment 🙂