Lemon Salmon Power Bowl

This lemon salmon power bowl tastes just like summer!  Lemon salmon, quinoa, summer squash, zucchini, mixed greens, raspberries, and balsamic glaze deliver a powerful flavor experience!

This lemon salmon power bowl looks gorgeous, but I promise it tastes even better. ;)  And, despite the long-ish ingredient list, it’s really not that complicated to make.  You just have to cook a number of things at the same time, so this is for sure a recipe you want to prep well.  It’s the perfect meal to enjoy on a patio with a cool drink in your hand on a hot summer day.  Beautiful, packed with nutrition, and refreshing, it’s sure to be a stunner on your table!

The first thing you need to do is start marinating your salmon.  For best results, I recommend doing this the night before.  In a pinch though, whatever time you can give it will help.  The marinade is pretty simple, just whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dried thyme, and ground black pepper.  Place your salmon in a silicone food storage bag with the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for a while.

After marinating your salmon for at least a couple of hours, we’re ready to start prepping the rest of our dish!  We’ll have a few different things cooking all at once, so I HIGHLY recommend making sure you have everything out, prepped, and ready to go to avoid any potential cooking disasters!

The prep work for this recipe is pretty simple.  Just slice your zucchini and yellow summer squash into rounds and mince your garlic.

Then, it’s time for us to get cooking!  Remember, we’re going to be cooking pretty much everything all at once, so get ready!  First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, foil, or parchment paper.  Place your marinated salmon onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the salmon’s internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.  The salmon should flake easily when it’s cooked through.

While your salmon is in the oven, bring the quinoa and 2 cups of water up to a boil in a medium saucepan on the stove.  Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender.  Look for the squiggles!  Quinoa looks squiggly when it’s cooked through (if this sounds bizarre to you, just wait, you’ll see it).  Once your quinoa is cooked, remove it from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside.

You see the squiggles now, right?  Anyway, while your quinoa is simmering and your salmon is baking (remember when I said we’re basically cooking everything at once?), heat your balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk frequently to keep the sugar from burning.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture had reduced by about half.

About 5 minutes before everything is done cooking, heat once tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, or about 30 seconds.  Then, add the zucchini and yellow summer squash and saute until tender, or about 3-5 minutes.

Once everything is done cooking, it’s time to build our bowl!  In individual bowls, lay down a bed of quinoa.  Layer sauteed veggies on the quinoa, top with mixed greens, salmon, and raspberries.  Drizzle everything with your balsamic glaze and garnish with parmesan cheese and lemon slices.  And forget about all the dishes you’ll have to wash after this, just soak up the beauty of the bowl. :) Enjoy!

If you try this recipe, please be sure to leave your thoughts and a rating in the comments below.  Don’t forget to tag me @HookomOnHealth and use the #HookomOnHealth so that I can see your creations online!  Enjoy!

Please note there are Amazon affiliate links in this post.  While the cost to you is the same, I do earn a small commission on any sales made through the links in this post.  I would never recommend anything that I don’t believe in–thank you for your support!

Print Recipe

Lemon Salmon Power Bowl

A bowl that tastes just like summer!  Lemon salmon, quinoa, summer squash, zucchini, mixed greens, raspberries, and balsamic glaze deliver a powerful flavor experience!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Marinating Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 40 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Gluten-free, Pescatarian

Keyword: balsamic glaze, eggplant quinoa bowl, grain bowl, lemon, lemon butter salmon, lemon salmon, lemon salmon power bowl, raspberries, summer squash, zucchini

Servings: 4 people

Author: Amanda Hookom @HookomOnHealth

Ingredients

For the salmon:

• 1 lb salmon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the quinoa:

• 1 cup dry red quinoa rinsed
• 2 cups water

For the balsamic glaze:

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

For the sauteed vegetables:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium zucchini sliced into rounds
• 1 medium yellow summer squash sliced into rounds

To garnish:

• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 1/2 lemon sliced to garnish

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, dried thyme, and ground black pepper to make a marinade. Marinate salmon filets in a silicone food storage bag or shallow, covered dish for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, foil, or parchment paper. Place salmon on prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until internal temperature of salmon reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Once cooked, fluff quinoa with a fork and set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, whisking frequently until reduced by about half, or about 20 minutes.
• Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini and summer squash and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
• Build bowls by layering quinoa, sauteed veggies, mixed greens, salmon, and raspberries. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with parmesan cheese and lemon slices.

Notes

• You can use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh, if desired.  One lemon contains approximately 2 tablespoons of juice.
• You can use white quinoa instead of red, if desired.  Try it with brown rice, farro, bulgur, or your other favorite whole grain to mix it up!
• I use mixed spring greens for this recipe, but you can use any green leafy your heart desires!  Try it with arugula or spinach too.
• Mix it up by trying other summer berries instead of raspberries.  Experiment with strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries or all of the above together!
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.  For best results, store the mixed greens, raspberries, and balsamic glaze in separate containers.