5 Pescatarian Roast Dinners: Salmon (2024)

At Life Without Meat, we advocate a pescatarian diet if you wish to start meat-reducing and kick starting your journey to becoming a vegetarian; and there are many reasons why we think it’s a good idea. During your time as a pescatarian, you might wonder how you can put a pescatarian spin on traditional family dinners where you might have otherwise eaten red meats or poultry. Salmon offers great versatility in the way it can be prepared – smoked, cured, poached, roasted or fried. We often see it served raw in Asian cuisine too. It’s renowned for its distinctive, delicious and fulfilling taste and texture; and it can make a wonderful talking point of the table when catering for large groups. So, we’ve gathered 5 roasted salmon recipes to inspire you in the kitchen; all of which would go great with the traditional roast dinner trimmings (minus the gravy)…

1. Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Salmon and Asparagus, by sweetcsdesigns[1]:

Serves: 2-4
Preparation time:5 minutes
Cooking time:15 minutes
Total time:20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
• Salmon filet, ½ lb – 1 lb
• 1 large lemon, sliced into rounds or wedges
• 2 tbsp garlic paste or fresh minced garlic
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp celtic sea salt
• 2 tbsp fresh cracked pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add salmon and asparagus to sheetpan, spreading out so nothing is too crowded.
3. In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, and garlic and mix well.
4. Drizzle oil, lemon juice, and garlic mixture over salmon and asparagus.
5. Layer lemon on top.
6. Season well with salt and pepper.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes, until salmon is opaque and asparagus is soft.
8. Serve immediately, either on its own, or alongside roasted potatoes, rice, or a nice salad.

2. Sheet Tray Salmon with Mushrooms and Bok Choy, by tastingtable[2]:

Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups (8 ounces) snap peas
• 2 cups (7 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• One 16-ounce bok choy, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• One 3-pound plank salmon, skin on
• Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450º and grease a tinfoil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, ginger, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and garlic, then set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the snap peas, shiitakes, bell pepper and bok choy with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in the center of the prepared sheet tray and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the vegetable mixture around the salmon. Drizzle the reserved honey mixture over the salmon and vegetables.
3. Place the tray in the oven and cook until the vegetables are tender and the salmon is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the salmon and vegetables to a platter. Garnish with chopped cilantro, then serve with lime wedges.

3. Roast Salmon with Pomegranate Glaze and Herby Mayo, by Sarah Tuck[3]:

Serves: 8-10
Preparation time:30 minutes
Cooking time:15 minutes
Total time:45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1½ tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons salt
• ½ cup boiling water
• 5½ cups cold water
• 1.5-kilogram (approx) side of salmon
• dill fronds, to garnish

For the quick-pickled red onion:

• ⅓ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 small red onion, finely sliced

For the herby yoghurt mayo:

• 1 cup natural Greek yoghurt
• ½ cup good-quality egg mayonnaise (I used Best Foods)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped capers, plus 1 tablespoon whole to garnish
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus a few fronds to garnish
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Salmon: Mix the olive oil with the garlic, pomegranate molasses and cumin seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Put the salt in a big roasting dish, deep enough to lay the salmon in, and with capacity for 6 cups of water. Add ½ cup boiling water to the salt and whisk to dissolve it. Top up with the 5½ cups of cold water and leave to cool.
3. Add the salmon, flesh side down, and leave in the brine for 30 minutes – this will help to prevent the milky white fat from rising to the top of the salmon while cooking.
4. Quick-pickled onion: Put the vinegar and sugar in a small non- reactive bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the onion, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Herby yoghurt mayo: Mix the yoghurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the chopped capers, dill and mint, and season to taste. For a little extra drama, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses swirled through the mayo is also a tasty option. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
7. Remove the salmon from the brine and pat dry. Lay skin-side down on the baking paper. Brush the olive oil mixture over the salmon flesh. Bake for 10–15 minutes. I did 15 minutes for my 1.5-kilogram salmon piece, but if your salmon is smaller, stick to 12 minutes or less – you really don’t want to overcook it.
8. Once cooked, the salmon can be served immediately or refrigerated until half an hour before serving. When ready to serve, garnish with the dill and drained onion and serve with the herby yoghurt mayo, garnished with capers and dill fronds.

4. Garlic Bread Crusted Salmon, by kitchensanctuary[4]:

Serves: 6
Preparation time:5 minutes
Cooking time:30 minutes
Total time:35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (bout 2.2 pounds) boneless side of salmon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic baguette, refrigerator temperature
• ½ tsp paprika
• Small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• Zest of one lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170c/325f.
2. Place the salmon, skin-side-down on a large bakng tray. Brush the oil on the salmon.
3. Place the garlic baguette in a food processor with the paprika. Pulse until it turns to breadcrumbs.
4. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the salmon. Push onto the salmon slightly with your hands so the curmbs stick to the oil.
5. Place in the oven, uncovered and bake for 25-30 mins – until the salmon is just cooked in the middle and the crust is golden brown.
6. Take out of the oven and top with chopped parsley and lemon zest. Serve with roasted veg and cous cous or potato wedges if you like.

5. Harissa Roast Salmon with Lemon Chickpea Couscous, by GoodFood[5]:

Serves: 8-10
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions,halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp harissa
• 1 tbsp agave nectar or clear honey
• 2 x 1kg/2lb 4 oz boneless sides of salmon, skin removed

For the couscous:

• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2-3 tsp harissa
• 50g currants
• 300g couscous
• 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained
• juice of 2 lemon, zest of 1
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• big bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• small bunch mint, chopped (optional)
• 50g toasted flaked almonds
• lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the onions, fennel, garlic and cumin seeds and fry, stirring frequently, for about 15 mins until the vegetables are soft and golden. Stir in the lemon zest and season. Leave to cool.
2. Stir the harissa with the agave or honey. Place a salmon fillet, skinned-side down, on a large sheet of baking parchment and spread with half the harissa mixture. Top evenly with the vegetables, then cover with the other salmon fillet, positioning it so that the thickest end is on top of the thinnest end of the other fillet. Can be made up to this point, covered and chilled the day before.
3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a large baking sheet inside. Brush the salmon with the rest of the harissa mixture, then lift (still on the parchment) onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 30 mins. Remove from the oven and check that the fish is cooked all the way through; if not done to your liking, cook 5 mins more and check again.
4. To make the couscous, crumble the stock cube into a large bowl and add the harissa, currants and couscous. Meanwhile, put the chickpeas in a bowl with the lemon juice, oil and seasoning. Just before serving, pour 450ml boiling water over the couscous, stir well, then cover with a plate and leave to soak for 5 mins. Add the lemon zest, parsley and mint (if using) to the chickpeas and stir well, then toss through the hot couscous with the flaked almonds. Serve on a big, warm platter with the salmon (the easiest way to transfer the salmon is to lift it still on the parchment, then slide it on top), with lemon wedges on the side. To serve, cut the salmon in slices, or cut thicker slices and halve to make chunky squares.

We hope those recipes give you some inspiration and which ever way you choose to cook your salmon, enjoy! Alternatively, if you fancy cod, checkout this collection of 5 roasted cod recipes…

Footnotes

1. sweetcsdesigns
2. Tastingtable
3. Sarah Tuck
4. Kitchensanctuary
5. GoodFood