This is one my all-time favorite meals, since I was a kid! What kid asks for salmon on their birthday?! I truly never get tired of it. I’ve switched up the preparation a bit over the years, but the 3 main ingredients remain the same: salmon fillets, roasted sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli. The sweet potatoes take the longest to cook, and if you time everything correctly, you can have the salmon and broccoli prepared while the potatoes cook.
A quick note on buying and storing fresh salmon:
Salmon freezes very well, so it’s great to have some stashed in the freezer when needed. I recommend buying an entire side of salmon from the market, slicing it into fillets myself, then freezing the rest in a freezer bag. Cooked salmon can be enjoyed the next day, so cook what you’ll eat today and tomorrow, then freeze the rest.
To thaw frozen salmon: place fillets in a bag, and place the bag in a bowl in the sink. Fill the bowl with cold water and the fish should be thawed within an hour. Alternatively, you can run a thin stream of cold water over the fish to thaw a little faster.
Salmon, Broccoli, and Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- 10-inch nonstick skillet
- 2 half-sheet roasting pans
- Parchment paper (optional- helps veggies not to stick)
Ingredients
- 4 6 oz salmon fillets
- 1 1/2 lb broccoli florets
- 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch cubes
- 2+ tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon wedges for garnish (optional)
- Feta cheese (optional)
Instructions
For the veggies
- Preheat oven to 375.Place a large sheet of parchment paper on each of the half-sheet trays.
- Place sweet potatoes on 1 tray and drizzle with 1 or more tbsp olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.Meanwhile, prepare the broccoli on the second tray with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- When you turn the sweet potatoes after 20 minutes, put them back in the oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are browned to your liking (about 40 min total). Put the broccoli in the oven at this time.Roast the broccoli for 15 minutes, then turn it in the tray, and roast an additional 7-10 minutes until browned (about 25 min total).
For the salmon
- Heat a nonstick skillet to medium heat and add 1-2 tsp olive oil to pan. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
- Cook salmon, top side down, for 4-5 minutes or until browned on 1 side and cooked through at least half or more of the way. Using a silicone spatula, turn the fish and cook on the other side 4-5 minutes more, depending on thickness.
To plate
- Transfer salmon and veggies to serving plates. Crumble feta cheese over broccoli, if desired. Garnish plates with lemon wedges to squeeze on salmon before eating.