This Summer Salmon Dinner came out of me trying to make dinner without any fancy kitchen tools and minimal seasonings. Although minimal, it is still full of flavor.
Juicy and flaky salmon, bright and tender asparagus, and juicy tomatoes all cook together on one sheet pan to make a light, bright, and satisfying dinner. It comes together quickly and cooks in less than 15 minutes.
Summer Salmon Dinner
- 3-5, 6 oz. center cut salmon filets
- 1-2 bunches of asparagus
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- garlic infused avocado oil (or, avocado oil and garlic powder)
- sea salt, to taste
- fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse the salmon with cool water, pat it dry, and place it on one half of the baking sheet.
- Rinse the asparagus, dry it, and place it on the other half of the baking sheet.
- Rinse the tomatoes, dry them, and spread them all around the outer edges of the sheet pan.
- Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice of the entire lemon all over the salmon, asparagus, and tomatoes.
- Drizzle the oil all over the salmon, asparagus, and tomatoes.
- Liberally sprinkle salt and crack black pepper all over the salmon, asparagus, and tomatoes. (Lightly season the salmon with garlic powder if you use unflavored avocado oil.)
- Bake at 425F for 10-12 minutes. (Salmon and asparagus cook pretty quickly. The salmon is completely cooked at 145F. Some people prefer to eat it more “rare” at 130F.)
- Once the meal is cooked, pierce the tomatoes with a pairing knife. (Piercing the tomatoes will help them release their juices and prevent the tomato juice from burning your mouth.)
- Serve the salmon, asparagus, and tomatoes and enjoy!
Test Kitchen Notes:
Salmon cooks pretty quickly. It is completely cooked at 145F. Some people prefer to eat it more “rare” at 130F. (Wild-caught salmon may take a couple more minutes to cook than sustainably-farmed salmon. Don’t overcook either or the fish will turn out tough and dry.)
You can use a fork to test the doneness of the salmon as well. If the fish “flakes” easily into chunks, it is cooked.
Asparagus cooks quickly as well. Pull it from the oven while it is still bright green instead of burnt and brown.
If you don’t like asparagus, sub it with broccolini.
If you want to make this meal a little heartier, add a baked potato or a baked sweet potato. You can cut sweet potatoes in half length-wise, drizzle a little avocado oil on top of each half, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 425F for about 30 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the sweet potato and it is tender.