Tuscan Salmon with Spinach and Tomatoes
Pan-seared thick-cut salmon with mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and capers: a balanced one-pot meal ready in 30 minutes. If you're looking for a quick, nutritious dinner, or if you love salmon as much as I do, this dish is perfect for you. The pan-seared salmon is crispy outside, paired with juicy mushrooms that burst when you bite into them. This Tuscan salmon with spinach and tomatoes will become one of your favorite dinners.
By Amanda Chang
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Pan-seared thick-cut salmon with the tangy sweetness of mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and capers: a balanced one-pot meal ready in 30 minutes.
If you’re looking for a quick, nutritious dinner, or if you love salmon as much as I do, this dish is perfect for you. This Tuscan salmon with spinach and tomatoes will become one of your favorite dinners. The pan-seared salmon is crispy outside and tender yet firm inside, paired with juicy mushrooms that burst when you bite into them and the nutrient-rich salmon. Plus, this dish has one more secret weapon: capers
What Are Capers?
Capers, which look a bit like Taiwanese pickled cordia seeds, are the flower buds of the caper bush, a plant native to the Mediterranean. They aren’t actually beans. They have a bright, tangy, aromatic flavor, so in the Mediterranean they’re commonly pickled and jarred. Capers are often paired with salmon, and their distinctive tangy aroma makes a dish feel lighter and less rich.
If you want to learn more about capers, here’s an introduction I really like (in Chinese) 👉🏻 What exactly are capers?
If you prefer reading in English, here’s a fairly complete introduction 👉🏻 What Are Capers? buying, Cooking, and Recipes
In this dish, the unique tang of the capers perfectly brings out even more flavor in the rich salmon.
Tips for Pan-Searing Salmon
- Don’t remove the skin: the skin helps the salmon keep its shape while it cooks and keeps the fillet from overcooking. If you really don’t want the skin, separate it from the flesh with chopsticks once the salmon is fully cooked, since cooked salmon is much easier to skin.
- Pat the fillets dry with damp paper towels before searing: this keeps the oil from spattering and is the only way to get a golden, slightly charred, crispy crust.
- How long to sear salmon: about 4-5 minutes per side, until golden outside and cooked through inside.
Pat the fillets dry with damp paper towels
Here’s what you’ll need:
Choose fresh salmon fillets
Mediterranean one-pot meals are so convenient and nutritious. I love making a simple stew on weeknights. It’s on the table in 30 minutes and quickly fills up the whole family, especially in winter.
A delicious, warming Mediterranean vegetable stew ➤ Moroccan Tomato Vegetable Stew | Low-Calorie, Low-Carb, High-Protein
More quick and easy one-pot meals ➤ 3 Low-Carb, High-Protein Pastas for Building Muscle and Losing Fat
Tuscan Salmon with Spinach and Tomatoes
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 3 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and rub with a little salt. Heat a deep pan over medium-high heat, then add the salmon fillets one at a time. Sear about 4-5 minutes on one side, flip, and cook another 4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
-
Without wiping out the salmon fat, add the olive oil to the same pan, then add the onion and garlic and saute until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and capers and cook 1 more minute.
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Next add the almond milk, tomato paste, and paprika and stir everything together. Add the spinach to the pan; it will wilt down in about three minutes.
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Return the seared salmon to the pan, season with salt and black pepper, and it's done.
