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Close up of pan seared salmon on a bed of lentils

Pan-Seared Salmon With Lentils


  • Author: caroline
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x

Description

Tender pan-seared salmon on a bed of zingy wholegrain mustard dressed lentils and wilted spinach. Simple yet impressive. This is a great dish to make for one or for a group.

The default recipe serves one.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 50g uncooked puy or green lentils
  • 1 bay leaf (fresh or dry)
  • 150g salmon fillet with skin
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 small red onion (around 40g), diced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • large handful spinach

For the dressing

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the lentils well and add to a pan. Cover with around 1-2 inches of water, add the bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes for green or puy lentils or 30 minutes if you are using brown.

2. Around 15 minutes before the lentils are ready start to prepare the rest of the meal. Pat the salmon with paper towel to dry and, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and mustard with a spoon. 

3. Add the olive oil to a frying pan or skillet over a high heat and, when hot, add the salmon, skin side down. Cook for around 3-4 minutes before flipping onto the flesh side. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the salmon from the pan and set aside, covered with some foil.

4. In the same pan as you cooked the salmon, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the spinach and use kitchen tongues to turn it every few seconds and move it around the pan until it’s wilted down. 

5. Add the lentils to the pan, season well and add the mustard mixture. Stir everything together well, breaking up the spinach so it doesn’t clump together and ensuring the mustard dressing has coated the lentils evenly. 

6. Spoon the lentils onto a plate and then serve with the salmon on top. 

Notes

  1. Don’t add salt to the lentil cooking water it can toughen the lentils.
  2. The lentil cooking time will give an al dente result. If you prefer them softer then increase the cooking time for an additional 5 minutes or so. 
  3. You can use pre-cooked lentils if you prefer. Use Xg of cooked lentils per person. 
  4. I used a mixture of spinach and red amaranth leaves for the pictures you see – to give an extra pop of colour. If you can find them then you can use them in the same way as you have the spinach. In Duabi (where I live) they are very easy to find in most supermarkets and cheap! 
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Hob
  • Cuisine: British

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 600
  • Fat: 31g
  • Carbohydrates: 32g
  • Protein: 42g

Keywords: salmon, lentils, spinach, wholegrain mustard, dinner