Salmon Couscous Salad Bowl
This salmon couscous salad bowl serves crispy, spiced salmon over a refreshing couscous salad made with cucumber, mint, and feta. Filled with Mediterranean flavours, this salmon bowl is easy, refreshing, and incredibly nutritious!
This salmon with couscous salad is the perfect warmer weather meal! You will love it for a light weeknight dinner or a packed lunch.
The couscous salad is super refreshing – made with hydrating cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, fresh mint, lemon, olive oil, and crumbled feta.
Salmon is topped with a combination of spices, including cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. I cook it on the stove to make it nice and crispy, but you’re welcome to bake it in the oven, if preferred.
The spiced flavours of the salmon come together with the refreshing salad for a nutritionally-balanced meal. This bowl has it all – protein, healthy fats, fiber rich carbohydrates, and lots of veggies. Enjoy!
Want more dietitian-designed salmon recipes? Check out my roundup of simple, healthy salmon recipes for more inspiration. If you love Mediterranean flavours, you will love this harissa salmon over lemon quinoa or this turmeric salmon with herbed yogurt!
About the ingredients + possible swaps
- Salmon: I personally like to use fresh rather than previously frozen salmon whenever possible. I find the texture is SO much more soft and tender! You can ask the people behind the fish counter to cut you 4 nice pieces of salmon for this recipe – I usually aim for somewhere between 4-6 ounce per piece.
- Couscous: I used the smaller Moroccan-style couscous for this recipe, but you are welcome to use the larger pearl couscous. If a gluten-free option is needed, feel free to swap couscous for quinoa or millet. They will have a similar texture!
- Cucumber: I love using Persian cucumbers for this recipe! They’re so deliciously crunchy and the perfect size. That said, you are welcome to use another type of cucumber, like long English cucumbers.
- Cherry tomatoes: Aim for vine-ripened cherry tomatoes if possible, as they have so much more sweetness and flavour. You may also use another type of small tomato instead, such as grape tomatoes.
- Mint: Fresh mint pairs so well with the Moroccan and Greek-inspired flavours of this recipe. Its refreshing taste balances the rest of the spices.
- Feta: Crumbled feta with mint and lemon is one of my favourite flavour pairings (see this shrimp + broccoli recipe)! It adds a delicious saltiness to this recipe. If you follow a dairy-free diet, please feel free to swap regular feta with a dairy-free alternative.
- Lemon: I recommend using fresh lemon juice to toss into the couscous salad. If you like things very lemon-y, you can also add a bit of the zest to finish.
- Shallot: Used for a more subtle, onion flavour. If needed, you can swap with a yellow or red onion instead.
- Olive oil: Used to toss the couscous salad and can be used to cook the salmon (otherwise, feel free to use avocado oil to cook the salmon). Olive oil adds delicious mediterranean flavours and healthy fats to this recipe.
- Cumin: Along with paprika and garlic powder below, cumin is added on top of the salmon prior to cooking.
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
Step-by-step: how to make this salmon couscous bowl
In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and salt with olive oil.
Brush oil and spice mixture onto salmon fillets. Season with black pepper. Let sit.
Next, cook couscous according to package directions. Chop cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, and shallot while the couscous cooks.
Toss couscous with chopped veggies, mint, crumbled feta, lemon juice, and olive oil. Set aside.
Cook salmon fillets in a pan, on both sides. This method will give you crispy salmon, but you can also bake the salmon in the oven if you’d prefer! Once cooked, plate bowls of couscous salad and top with salmon fillets 🙂
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Salmon nutrition benefits
Salmon is an excellent source of quality, complete protein, which helps to protect bone health and prevent muscle loss, among many other functions.
- a 3-ounce serving provides 17 grams
- a 6-ounce piece will give you 34 grams
In addition to protein, salmon is rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3s. Omega-3s are known to support heart health, brain health, and to reduce inflammation overall.
On the micronutrient side, salmon is a great source of B vitamins, which act as coenzymes in important metabolic processes throughout your body, such as turning the food we eat into energy:
- vitamin B12
- vitamin B6
- thiamin
- riboflavin
- niacin
Salmon is also a good source of minerals like potassium and selenium.
Couscous nutrition benefits
Couscous is a source of fiber and plant-based protein. For a 1 cup serving of cooked couscous, you’ll find about 2.2 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.
Couscous is rich in selenium, providing more than 60% of your daily needs in 1 cup. Selenium is a mineral involved in thyroid and immune function. Selenium also acts as a powerful antioxidant, helping to prevent against cellular damage.
Couscous also provides a small amount of other micronutrients, like vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
More salmon bowl recipes
- Salmon Quinoa Bowl With Tahini Dressing
- Baked Taco Salmon Rice Bowl
- Salmon With Sweet Potato Mash
- Harissa Salmon Over Lemon Quinoa
- Turmeric Salmon With Yogurt Sauce & Rice
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Get the Recipe: Healthy Salmon Couscous Salad Bowl
Ingredients
Salmon:
- 2x 4-6 ounce salmon fillets (use fresh rather than previously frozen salmon, if possible)
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (or other high-heat cooking oil)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Salad:
- 1/2 cup moroccan couscous, dry
- 1 cup cucumber (Persian or English)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (vine-ripened, if possible)
- 2 Tbsp shallot, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
- 1/2 a lemon, juice only (or more, if desired!)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix avocado oil with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and salt until well-combined.
- Place salmon fillets on a plate and brush with oil and spice mixture until evenly coated. Season with pepper and set aside.
- On the stovetop, cook couscous according to package directions.
- While the couscous cooks, chop cucumbers, tomatoes, shallot, and fresh mint.
- Once couscous is cooked, add chopped cucumber, tomatoes, mint, feta, lemon, and olive oil to the pot. Toss with couscous, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high. Test to make sure the pan is hot enough by splashing a drop of water on it. If it sizzles – you're good to go!
- Place salmon skin side down onto the hot pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness), using a spatula to press salmon down.
- Once the sides of the salmon have turned more opaque, flip the fish so that the skin-less side is touching the pan. TURN OFF THE HEAT, and let the fish cook for another minute or two. The goal is to have the outside cooked, but the insides soft and tender.
- Serve couscous salad in 2 bowls and top with cooked salmon. Enjoy!
Notes
- If a gluten-free option is needed, feel free to swap couscous for quinoa or millet. They will have a similar texture and are naturally gluten-free grains!
- If you follow a dairy-free diet, please feel free to swap regular feta with a dairy-free alternative.
- Shallots have a more subtle flavour, but you are welcome to swap with yellow or red onion.
- If you’d prefer to bake the salmon: top salmon fillets with the oil and spice mixture as directed. Place in a baking dish or on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, place salmon in the oven at 400F for 12-15 minutes!
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
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4 Comments on “Salmon Couscous Salad Bowl”
Absolutely delicious!! Perfect for two people plus lunches the next day. Thank you
Hi Gillian!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. So happy to hear you enjoyed this one, and the leftovers 😉
Loved this! We cooked the salmon on the grill to enjoy the last days of summer. Worthy of serving to guests! Thanks for another delicious recipe, Carrie!
Hi Jan! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this with grilled salmon!! What a lovely end of summer meal 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! It’s always so appreciated.