Salmon & Quinoa Power Bowl with Lemon Feta Avocado Salsa
I love when I stumble upon a main dish recipe that ticks the “quick” and “healthy” boxes *without* skimping on flavor and excitement. And that’s exactly what these salmon and quinoa power bowls are—a flavor punch to the mouth.
I was intrigued by the original recipe I kept seeing on Instagram, but decided to make some simplifications as I tried it out myself. Honestly? I’m just kind of lazy. And I felt like there was PLENTY going on in this recipe flavor-wise, everything else was just gilding the lily.
Texturally I’m not usually the biggest fan of quinoa, but I feel like it works here as the salsa and salmon are having a party in your mouth.
I already make easy air fryer salmon filets at least a couple nights a week, making them from frozen in like 10 minutes. I use the same technique here for cooking the salmon, but you can cook them however is easiest for you (I’ve given a few ideas).
Since I’m only one person, I end up using this as a partial meal prep recipe…I make the full batch of arugula quinoa, but then do the salmon and avocado salsa as single-servings fresh each meal. They take about 10 minutes total since the quinoa’s already done, making for a hot, fresh, easy meal whenever I want it.
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I’ve made salmon a huge part of my diet, making it probably 2-3 times a week because it’s super easy. But sourcing it can be tough, since so much farmed salmon is GARBAGE.
After trying a couple different routes, I finally tested out ordering from Sizzlefish, who sells a variety of quality frozen seafood products. I specifically use them for frozen salmon filets (different varieties, including Atlantic and wild-caught Coho, King, and Sockeye).
I have a subscription now, usually it comes every 6 weeks or so but I sometimes pause if I haven’t run through my stock. They’re an awesome option for sourcing your seafood and knowing exactly what you’ll get.
Make the quinoa according to the package’s instructions. Typically I combine 1 cup of white quinoa (rinsed) and 1 3/4 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, put a folded clean flour sack towel under the lid and let it sit, covered for 5 to 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork and then allow to cool slightly.
Add the lukewarm quinoa to a large bowl and add the arugula or kale, finely-diced onion, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste. You may need to add more lemon juice or olive oil to get it exactly how you want it as well.
You can make the quinoa ahead of time as well, and have it in the fridge to reheat.
Next we get the salmon cooking. See my notes in the post on how I cook single-serving frozen salmon filets, as that’s how I usually do this. I prefer a center-cut filet to get nice big chunks. You can pre-cut them with a giant knife from frozen (hasselback style), or just cook whole and break up later.
If your salmon pieces are thawed, preheat your air fryer to 350 F, throw in the salmon pieces and sprinkle with the seasoning, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes (depending on the size of your chunks).
Or cook stovetop with some olive oil, about 2 minutes per side. I air fry mine from frozen and so you’ll just sprinkle the seasoning on partway through cooking with some salt and I put down a thin layer of dijon mustard.
While the salmon is cooking, make the avocado salsa. In a small bowl, toss together the avocado, parsley, capers, feta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Toss to combine and taste first, then season with salt and pepper (feta and capers are salty, so don’t over-salt).
Assemble your bowl. Put a large amount of quinoa in a bowl, then top with salmon and the avocado salsa.
These salmon and quinoa bowls have earned a spot in my regular monthly meal rotation with how easy and delicious they are! I’ve simplified and adapted the recipe from @starinfinitefood’s IG Reel.
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Salmon & Quinoa Power Bowl with Lemon Feta Avocado Salsa
This delicious salmon and quinoa power bowl with a punchy lemon feta avocado salsa is an amazing, easy, healthy meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. It's packed with protein, nutrients, and healthy omega-3s. I love how flexible the quantities are, and often make a pseudo-meal prep version for one person (which I outline in the post) that gives me 3-4 nights of meals with minimal effort!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of salmon, skin removed & cut into cubes (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2-4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- Everything Bagel seasoning
- FOR THE QUINOA
- 1 cup of white quinoa, uncooked (should make ~3 cups cooked)
- 1 cup of finely chopped kale or arugula
- 1/3 cup of very finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE SALSA
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon of capers
- 1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the quinoa according to the package's instructions. Typically I combine 1 cup of white quinoa (rinsed) and 1 3/4 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, put a folded clean flour sack towel under the lid and let it sit, covered for 5 to 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork and then allow to cool slightly.
- Add the lukewarm quinoa to a large bowl and add the arugula or kale, finely-diced onion, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste. You may need to add more lemon juice or olive oil to get it exactly how you want it as well.
- Next we get the salmon cooking. You can see how I easily air fry single-serving frozen salmon filets, as that's how I usually do this. I prefer a center-cut filet to get nice big chunks. You can pre-cut them with a giant knife from frozen, or just cook whole and break up later. See the notes below for a one-person meal.
- If your salmon pieces are thawed, preheat your air fryer to 350 F, toss the salmon pieces with a bit of dijon mustard and sprinkle with the seasoning and some salt, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes (depending on the size of your chunks). Or cook stovetop with some olive oil, about 2 minutes per side. I air fry mine from frozen and so you'll just sprinkle the seasoning on partway through cooking along with some salt and a thin layer of dijon mustard.
- While the salmon is cooking, make the avocado salsa. In a small bowl, toss together the avocado, parsley, capers, feta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss to combine and taste first, then season with salt and pepper (feta and capers are salty, so don't over-salt).
- Assemble your bowl. Put a large amount of quinoa in a bowl, then top with salmon and the avocado salsa. Enjoy!
Notes
- As I'm only one person, I end up using this as a partial meal prep...I make the full batch of arugula quinoa, but then do the salmon and avocado salsa as single-servings fresh each meal. They take about 10 minutes total since the quinoa's already done, making for a hot, fresh, easy meal whenever I want it.
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