26 Healthy Salmon Dinners to Enjoy During Lent

February 19, 2021

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Try one of these healthy salmon dinners for an alternative to meat during the Lent season. We pair the omega-3-packed fish with vegetables, pasta or whole grains to create a nutritious and tasty dinner. Recipes like Dijon Salmon with Green Bean Pilaf and Salmon Burgers with Quick Pickled Cucumbers are so delicious that you’ll want to make them on other days of the week, not just Fridays.

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Ginger-Tahini Oven-Baked Salmon & Vegetables

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The tahini sauce does double duty in this healthy salmon recipe, serving as a glaze for the fish and also as a drizzle for the entire dish at the end of cooking. The green beans are cooked just slightly in this recipe, to still be crisp. If you like your green beans tenderer, look for thinner beans or haricot verts in the grocery store; they'll cook more quickly. This sheet-pan dinner recipe is not only delicious--it also comes together with just 25 minutes of active prep time, and there's only one pan to clean up afterwards!

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Roasted Pistachio-Crusted Salmon with Broccoli

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This easy one-pan roasted salmon with broccoli is quick enough for weeknight dinners but elegant enough for company. The lemony pistachio crust would also be lovely on other types of fish or on chicken breasts.

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Dijon Salmon with Green Bean Pilaf

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In this quick dinner recipe, the delicious garlicky-mustardy mayo that tops baked salmon is very versatile. Make extra to use as a dip for fries or to jazz up tuna salad. Precooked brown rice helps get this healthy dinner on the table fast, but if you have other leftover whole grains, such as quinoa or farro, they work well here too.

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Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli

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The vibrant combo of cheese, cilantro, chili, and lime--inspired by Mexican street corn--makes this salmon sheet-pan dinner burst with flavor.

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Jerk-Spiced Salmon & Quinoa Bowl with Mango Vinaigrette

Credit: Jacob Fox

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Chef Millie Peartree has been feeding the community in the Bronx, where she grew up, as a private chef, caterer and restaurant owner of Millie Peartree’s Fish Fry & Soul Food for more than a decade. Her healthy-eating philosophy is all about making simple but flavorful protein-packed meals. Mango juice in the vinaigrette balances the spiced salmon and roasted vegetables on these grain bowls.

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Salmon Burgers with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

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These healthy salmon burgers call for canned salmon, which makes them an economical and easy dinner. The quick-pickled cucumbers in this recipe are a great introduction to the world of pickling. If you enjoy them, you can make additional batches by following Steps 1 and 2.

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Greek Salmon Bowl

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This salmon quinoa bowl with green beans is a meal that keeps on giving. Pack up any leftovers for a next-day lunch, or make the entire recipe ahead and pack it into individual serving containers for ready-to-go meals.

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Slow-Cooker Citrus Salmon with Melted Leeks

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We've discovered the perfect pairing for this moist, lemony, slow-cooker salmon--slightly chewy leeks. Like other alliums, leeks become sweet and rich when roasted slowly for a long time. When cooked in the slow cooker they "melt," becoming jam-like but still retaining pleasant chewiness. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and thyme sprigs, if desired.

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Lemon-Herb Salmon with Caponata & Farro

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Dig into your farmers' market haul to cook this colorful and healthy Mediterranean diet dinner recipe that's packed with vegetables. Feel free to swap in any vegetables or cook up another whole grain, such as brown rice. Serve with a glass of your favorite red wine.

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Honey Mustard Salmon with Mango Quinoa

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In this 30-minute dinner recipe, grilled, honey mustard-coated salmon is served with a tasty grain salad made with quinoa, mango, jalapeño and almonds.

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Garlic Butter-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus

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This spring-produce-packed one-pan meal makes a healthy and satisfying weeknight dinner. Melted garlic butter coats the salmon and vegetables, adding depth of flavor and richness to the dish.

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Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing

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Curly kale forms the base of this salad, but you could use chard or spinach. To the greens, add a multitude of chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Finish with rich salmon for protein and a drizzle of creamy yogurt dressing to bring it all together.

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Blackened Salmon Sandwich

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Blackened salmon is great in a sandwich with a spread of mashed avocado and low-fat mayonnaise plus peppery arugula leaves, cool tomato slices and zesty red onion. We grill our Cajun-style salmon so there is no need for any added cooking oil. Catfish makes an excellent stand-in for the salmon but you'll want to use a grill basket if you have one to keep the fish from breaking apart.

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Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Salmon with Potatoes & Peppers

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Busy weeknights beg for something simple like this salmon sheet-pan dinner. Like the name suggests, it's all cooked on one pan. The potatoes get a head start, followed by sweet bell peppers and finally chili-coated salmon fillets. It's a complete meal with easy cleanup!

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Salmon with Chopped Tomatillo Salad

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We made this chopped salad with pico de gallo in mind. Tangy tomatillos add fresh crunch to the classic mixture of tomatoes, cilantro and onion to brighten up this broiled salmon recipe.

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Roasted Salmon with White Bean Ragout

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In this easy dinner recipe, salmon fillets seasoned with salt and pepper are roasted and served on a stew-like ragout of cannellini beans, chard, and cherry tomatoes. A light sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese delivers a finishing touch to this healthy meal.

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Salmon Caesar Salad

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This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.

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Edamame & Salmon Stir-Fry with Miso Butter

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One bite of this healthy stir-fry recipe and you'll start thinking about what else you can stir miso butter into. Spread the miso butter on roast chicken or toss it with steamed vegetables. Serve with rice noodles or brown rice.

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Old Bay Salmon with Lemony Mashed Peas

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Cooking butter until it browns adds a toasty, nutty flavor to this easy skillet salmon recipe. Here it gives Old Bay-rubbed salmon a chef-worthy finish--not bad for 20 minutes!

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Orange-Sesame Salmon with Quinoa & Broccolini

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A quick Asian orange sauce gives this healthy salmon dinner recipe bright flavor. No broccolini? Swap in 8 ounces broccoli florets and roast for 5 minutes in Step 3.

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Salmon with Toasted Israeli Couscous

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You need only one skillet for this meal of wild salmon fillets and Israeli couscous pilaf. For added fiber, look for Israeli couscous made with whole-wheat flour. Serve with roasted carrots and broccoli with cumin.

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Quick Lentil Salmon Salad

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In this budget-friendly salmon recipe, canned salmon tops lentils, carrots and celery--ingredients you probably have on hand already. Fiber-rich lentils come in a variety of colors and they typically cook faster than dried beans, so they're a great choice for a fast weeknight dinner.

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Oven-Baked Salmon with Charred Onions & Old Bay Radishes

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The charred onion puree is both smoky and sweet, a nice foil for this simple baked salmon recipe. Serve this healthy salmon recipe with a glass of crisp, dry rosé for an easy dinner that's special enough for company. Environmental note: If you are deciding between farmed and wild salmon for this recipe, you should know that either one can be a sustainable choice: While farmed salmon historically has gotten a bad rap, many options now rate as Best Choice and Good Alternative by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program. Use wild Pacific salmon if you prefer (most comes from well-managed fisheries), but check for doneness a few minutes early as it's typically leaner.

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Roasted Salmon Tacos

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If healthy fish tacos are new to you, this crunchy, creamy version is a great way to try them.

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Mirin-Poached Salmon with Spring Salad

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Poaching fish with a little flavorful liquid may be the easiest way to cook fish! This quick poached-fish recipe stars salmon, but tuna, mahi-mahi or cod work just as well. Look for pea sprouts, also called “pea shoots,” at farmers' markets and in well-stocked supermarkets. Or use 1 more cup thinly sliced snap peas instead.

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Salmon Perok

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This Alaskan-inspired salmon pie is pure comfort food. It doesn't slice neatly, so scoop it like a shepherd's pie.

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