Salmon Parcels With Vegetables (30-Minutes)

Cooking salmon (or other fish) in foil or parchment paper is a cooking method that steams the fish (and accompanied vegetables). The technique is called “en papillote” in French. It’s a quick cooking method that results in a soft, tender, and flaky fish!

I find it cooks the vegetables really nicely too – they’re soft, but still have a bit of a crunch to them. Plus, the flavours of the liquids you use to steam your fish will infuse nicely as well.

One of the best parts about cooking this way is it results in way less mess and is a BREEZE to clean up. There are very few pots and pans involved here!

There’s also something fun about making these individualized portion packets. Everything stays nice and warm, and your family gets to open them up and be delighted by the scents and pretty colours of their meal, right before digging in 🙂

All you need to make this salmon parcels recipe are 10 simple ingredients:

• salmon
• zucchini
• broccoli
• bell pepper
• carrot
• toasted sesame oil
• garlic
• honey
• soy sauce (or tamari for a GF version)
• rice vinegar
• optional garnish: green onion, sesame seeds

Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

For this cooking method, it’s important to choose vegetables that will cook in the same amount of time as your fish (i.e. within 15 minutes). This is why I chose vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli, and carrots.

Some other options that would work include:

• bok choy
• broccolini
• cauliflower
• asparagus
• green beans
• snow or snap peas

I’d avoid longer cooking veggies, like potatoes or winter squash! If you’d like to serve this dish with something like potatoes, you can always roast them separately – just get them in the oven 10-15 minutes beforehand 🙂

While I made this recipe with honey garlic sauce, you can always change it up!

For instance, you could try this miso maple sauce that I also love. Or, you can use store-bought teriyaki sauce, hoisin, ponzu, or oyster sauce for other Asian-inspired flavours.

If you’d prefer more Mediterranean flavours, you could do this with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and Italian seasonings (like thyme, garlic, basil, etc.)

If you’d like to make these fish parcels with something other than salmon, you can totally do so with other fish like:

• halibut
• atlantic cod
• black cod
• trout
• haddock

While you can enjoy these salmon parcels on their own, they also go great served with a starch!

I love this one with whole grains like farro, quinoa, or brown rice.

Or, you could serve them with something like couscous or orzo.

Similarly, they go great with mashed, steamed, or baked potatoes!

Be sure to pour the extra liquid from the parcels over everything 🙂

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 like:

• vitamin B12
• vitamin B6
• thiamin
• riboflavin
• niacin

B vitamins act as coenzymes in many important metabolic processes throughout your body, such as turning the food we eat into energy!

Salmon is also a good source of minerals like potassium and selenium.