I call this vegetable-packed, coconut-simmered salmon the exact dish I want to eat the night before Thanksgiving. It’s easy, filling, wholesome, and supremely good for you. But the most important thing is that the flavors are vibrant and delicious, but are nothing like the flavors you’ll be having on the holidays – we have to save room!
Servings: servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice, any kind
- 1 large head of bok choy, or two small heads
- 1 large red onion
- 2 large carrots
- 1 small serrano pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1- inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 13.5 -ounce can of full- fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 pounds of Atlantic salmon
- Tender herbs such as mint, dill, cilantro, for serving
- Lime, for serving
Instructions
- First, cook the white rice according to package instructions, or by using a rice cooker.
- Wash the bok choy and pull off the leaves. Set aside. Peel the red onion and thinly slice it. Peel the carrots and thinly slice them. Thinly slice the serrano pepper. Grate the garlic cloves and the ginger. Set all components to the side.
- Place a large high-sided sauté pan with a fitted lid over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil, then 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon coriander. Give the spices a swirl in the oil.
- Add the red onion, carrots and serrano pepper to the pan, cook for 12-13 minutes, or until the vegetables are very softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes or until the garlic is no longer raw.
- While those vegetables are cooking, season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper and cut it into 2-inch chunks.
- After the vegetables have cooked down, add the bok choy, the can of coconut milk, and 1 cup of water. Bring this to a simmer, taste and season with salt and pepper, then cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes or until the bok choy has wilted.
- Uncover and add the salmon, then cover the pan again and simmer for 6-7 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through and flaky. Turn off the heat.
- Taste the broth and season if needed, then scatter torn herbs all over the top.
- Serve with white rice and lime wedges.
Serving: 5ozCalories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 31gFat: 41g
Comments
Is it supposed to be 1/2 cup of olive oil?
Yes, it’s really delicious! You can cut it down to 1/4 cup if you’d like but the vegetables will dry out a bit during the cooking process.
Thank you! When do you add the garlic and ginger?
Same question!
Hii,
Do you have any recommendations as a substitute for the bok choy?
Any leafy green you like should work!
I softened the carrots a bit in the microwave before adding them. I added the ginger and garlic after the onion. I used about 1/4 cup of oil, or a bit less. After simmering the coconut milk and water for a bit to combine everything, I turned off the hit and put some of the sauce in a separate saucepan. I added shrimp and baby spinach to the smaller amount of sauce, covered, and simmered until the shrimp were cooked through and spinach had wilted. I have saved the rest of the sauce and hope to get three or four meals out of it – I’m thinking salmon filet for one and soft tofu for another. It was excellent and warming on a cold night.
When do you add the garlic and ginger?
After the vegetables have softened! But you can also add halfway through the vegetable cooking time if you prefer 🙂
TYSM! Just finished making (and eating) this and it was absolutely delicious and will be a regular rotation meal. No notes
This is possibly one of the best meals I have ever tried. 1000 points out of 10.
I am so beyond thrilled you like it!
I’m curious what this would be like with white fish instead of salmon. Thoughts?
That will work wonderfully! It might need a tiny bit less time simmering, depending on the thickness of the fish.
This makes for the best salmon soup dish I’ve personally ever had! I swapped serrano for plump bell pepper (family can’t handle spice whatsoever), but I added chili crisp in my bowl to make up for it. I feel like this dish could be easily modified to anyone’s liking or cuisine by swapping different starter aromatics (e.g. fennel, scallion, celery, radish, etc), different fish, or different finishing aromatics (e.g. lemongrass, thai basil, nutmeg). Love it Justine!
I’m so glad you love it and that you’re able to easily make it work for everyone in your family! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
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