Baked Salmon with Salsa (Printer-friendly)
Tender baked salmon topped with a tangy pomegranate, walnut, and herb salsa for a vibrant meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salmon
01 - 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on or skinless
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
04 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1 lemon, sliced
→ Salsa
06 - 2/3 cup pomegranate seeds
07 - 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
08 - 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
10 - 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
11 - 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
13 - 1/2 tsp pomegranate molasses (optional)
14 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How To Make It:
01 - Set the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Arrange salmon fillets on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and top each with a lemon slice.
03 - Cook the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes until it is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
04 - Combine pomegranate seeds, toasted walnuts, parsley, mint, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
05 - Allow the salmon to rest for 2 minutes after baking, then transfer to plates and spoon the salsa over each fillet. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The salmon stays impossibly tender while the salsa brings a burst of freshness that feels both fancy and completely doable on a weeknight.
- It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, but tastes too good to feel like you're eating "healthy" anything.
- Your kitchen will smell incredible, and people will assume you spent way more time on this than you actually did.
02 -
- Don't overbake the salmon trying to cook it all the way through—it keeps cooking after it comes out, and overcooked fish is nobody's friend.
- Toasting your own walnuts is non-negotiable. Pre-toasted ones go stale sitting in jars; fresh toasted walnuts change everything about this dish.
03 -
- Pomegranate seeds release their juice when chopped too fine, so leave them whole or just lightly broken—let them burst in your mouth, not in the bowl.
- If your walnuts aren't toasted yet, do it right before you cook. The aroma and flavor difference between fresh-toasted and old toasted nuts is the difference between good and memorable.