Oven baked salmon with couscous recipe - salmon served in a creamy sauce with zesty tomatoes and bell peppers over a bed of couscous is an easy and healthy recipe meant to show off your beautiful piece of fish!
I created my version of this salmon couscous recipe years ago when my neighbor shared a big piece of his wild-caught salmon that he had recently caught. I knew I had to celebrate it with bold flavors and a stunning presentation and so a friend of mine shared this recipe with me!
I tweaked it a little bit, and my version of this salmon bowl is made with roasted salmon filet in a cream sauce made with bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, and is served over a bed of fluffy couscous. It’s easy to make, utterly delicious, and one of my favorite ways to enjoy a nice big piece of salmon!
Serve with a side salad like a strawberry spinach salad or use just the kale part of the almond crusted kale salad!
What Exactly is Couscous?
They are little granules of semolina, originating as the hardest part of durum wheat. Once cooked they should be fluffy and light. Despite looking like quinoa, they are actually closer related to pasta.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy and delicious. Fresh salmon is high in protein and omega-3s, there are tons of vitamins and minerals in the veggies, and couscous is rich in fiber, protein, and all kinds of nutrients.
- Easy to make. Make this quick and simple meal using a handful of ingredients you may already have.
- Ready in under 30 minutes. I love a delicious and healthy meal, but I love it even more when I can get it on the table fast!
Ingredients
- Salmon - Not everyone has generous neighbors who fish, so pick out the best 1 lb of salmon you can from the store and use that!
- Onion and garlic - Aromatics for flavor. Slice the onion to about the same size as the bell peppers and mince the garlic.
- Tomatoes - I use fresh chopped tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are great), however, if you want to drain a can of diced tomatoes and use them, you can.
- Bell pepper - Slice either a red bell pepper or a green bell pepper or use some pieces of both for extra color.
- Heavy whipping cream - This adds a thick creaminess to the sauce.
- Couscous - Cooked according to package directions.
- You’ll also need - Olive oil, fresh herbs like parsley or dill, and salt and pepper to taste.
Picking the Right Salmon
Pick up a filet that is plump, doesn’t have any gray spots, and smells like salmon. Farmed salmon is usually light pink and more cost-effective, whereas wild-caught is darker and a bit pricier. Atlantic salmon which is most widely found in grocery stores is farmed and Alaskan salmon is wild-caught. Whether you choose, just make sure you read the label.
There is a whole lot of research out there about farmed vs wild and which one is better for your health and the environment. I won’t go into too much detail, but all I will say is, buy what you can afford, and limit fish to 1-2 times a week.
How to Make Salmon Couscous
Step 1: Rinse the salmon filet under cold water and cut it into smaller pieces. Depending on the size of the filet you have, you are looking to have enough for 3-4 portions. Pat them dry and place them in the baking dish.
Step 2: Drizzle the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for about 6-10 minutes until it is cooked through and flakes easily.
Step 3: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion. Once it starts to caramelize and become translucent, add in the tomatoes, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4: Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down, then turn down the heat to low.
Step 5: Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and then add in your greens.
Step 6: Serve the salmon over a bowl of couscous and drizzle it with the sauce. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- Cut the fish or keep it whole. When you add the salmon back into the skillet with the sauce, you can cut it up into smaller pieces, or keep the filets whole.
- Swap the couscous. You can just as easily make this salad bowl with white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice instead of couscous.
- Keep skin on or off. I cook the salmon with the skin on so it helps prevent overcooking as well as it helps keep it together. However, because it simmers in the sauce and no longer crispy, I remove the skin before serving.
More Fish Recipes You’ll Love:
When YOU make this Salmon Couscous Recipe please tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
If you tried this Salmon with Couscous or any other recipe on my website, please leave a * star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Wild Caught Salmon With Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 lb wild caught salmon
- 1 Medium onion sliced
- 3 to matoes chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream about 2 cups
- couscous cooked
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- greens like dill or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- First lets prepare our wild caught salmon by rinsing it in the cold water, cutting it into desired pieces and placing it in the baking dish. Grease salmon with olive oil then season it with salt and pepper. Place it in the oven and bake for 6-10 minutes or until its cooked thru.
- In a large skillet saute onion until it's almost starting to caramelize and become translucent.
- Add tomatoes, garlic and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes break down. Turn the heat on low then add heavy whipping cream (You don't want to boil it because the cream will break apart into tiny curds). Add greens.
- After salmon is done cooking you can break it into small pieces and add it into the pan of sauce cover with a lid and let it set on a low heat for 2-5 minutes so the flavors absorbs into the salmon, or you can serve it with a whole slice of salmon on top of couscous and then add sauce on top. Either way it tastes amazing! Now grab a fork and enjoy this deliciousness!
We had wild salmon for dinner last night, and now I think we'll be having the leftovers with couscous tonight! Thanks for the recipe, and for joining us at Talented Tuesday!
Thank you Staci! It is worth a try!
Thanks, great recipe, easy and fast! I did add capers because we like them with salmon.
Thank you Meg! I am glad you liked it!
This is SO beautiful! I love salmon and I could eat it every day.
It is so nice of your neighbor to share the salmon 🙂
Thank you Lena! I love salmon sometimes I wish my hubby was a fisherman lol so he can get me fresh salmon every week!