This is a pan-seared salmon fillet served over a warm blanched-green salad of asparagus, French beans, broad beans, and spinach, finished with sesame oil, lemon, and chilli, with grilled sweet potato on the side. At 533 calories and 54 grams of protein per serving, it holds up as a complete meal. The sesame-lemon dressing is light but punchy enough to stand up to the salmon.
What makes this version work
Two things matter here. First, the blanch-and-drain sequence for the greens: each vegetable gets its own time in the hot water, so nothing turns to mush. Asparagus goes three minutes, French beans five, broad beans three โ pull each batch out while they still have some bite, because theyโll continue softening as they sit. Second, the butter-fry for the salmon. Butter browns faster than oil and coats the skin, which is what gives you a genuinely crisp result rather than a pale, steamed-looking fillet. Start skin-side down and donโt move it until the flesh has turned opaque about two-thirds of the way up โ thatโs your cue to flip.
About the ingredients
- Broad beans: The recipe lists both โFrench beansโ and a separate โpacket of beansโ โ that second packet is broad beans (fava beans). Fresh or frozen both work; frozen are already podded and save time. If you use frozen, reduce their blanch time to 90 seconds.
- Himalayan salt: Regular fine sea salt is a straight swap and behaves identically in this recipe.
- Sesame oil: Use toasted (dark) sesame oil, not the pale raw kind. The flavour difference is significant. A half-teaspoon goes a long way โ the recipeโs quantity is intentional.
- Sweet potato: The recipe calls for one cup, grilled after the salmon. Slice it thin (about 5mm) so it cooks through quickly under the grill without needing pre-cooking.
Storage and make-ahead
The blanched greens can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead โ cool them completely, pat dry, and refrigerate in an airtight container lined with paper towel. Keep the spinach separate and add it just before serving, since it wilts fast once it hits warm or dressed vegetables. Dress it at the table โ a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast. The salmon is best cooked and eaten immediately; leftover cooked salmon can be refrigerated for up to two days and served cold or at room temperature over the greens, but the skin will lose its crispness. Grilled sweet potato keeps well for two days in the fridge and reheats in a dry pan in a couple of minutes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Not drying the greens before dressing: Water clinging to blanched vegetables dilutes the sesame-lemon dressing and makes it slide off. Shake the colander well and spread the greens on a clean towel for a minute if needed.
- Crowding the salmon in the pan: If the fillets touch, they steam instead of sear. Use a pan large enough to give each piece space, or cook in two batches.
- Adding the chilli without tasting first: One medium red chilli can range from mild to genuinely hot depending on the variety. Taste a small piece before adding it all, especially if youโre serving this to people with different heat tolerances.
- Under-seasoning the salad: The dressing uses only a pinch of salt, so taste the assembled greens before plating. Blanched vegetables need more seasoning than raw ones โ add a little more salt or an extra squeeze of lemon if it tastes flat.
- Grilling the sweet potato too thick: Thick slices wonโt cook through under the grill in the time it takes the salmon to rest. Keep slices at 5mm or less, or theyโll be soft on the outside and starchy in the middle.
Hearty Salmon With Greens Super Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 packet French beans
- 1 packet beans
- 1 packet spinach
- 1 small onion
- 1 medium red chilli
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium lemon
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 dash Himalayan salt or sea salt as an alternative
- 1 cup sweet potatoes
Salmon Ingredients
- 1000 grams salmon 250 grams per person
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 1 dash Himalayan Salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Take off the heat and blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes. Take out and place in a large colander. Then add the french beans to the water and blanch for 5 minutes. Repeat taking the beans out and putting them in the colander with the asparagus. Finally, add the broad beans to the water for 3 minutes. Add to the other beans and drain again in the colander. When all the greens are dry, add to a large salad bowl.
- Add the chopped chilli, chopped shallot, half a teaspoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, spinach, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt.
- Now the salad is done, heat a frying pan on medium heat and add enough butter to fry your salmon. Don't be tight; add in that butter!
- Once the butter is sizzling away, add your salmon skin side down and cook until the salmon has turned a lighter pink. This will crisp that skin right up!
- Once the salmon looks like it's nearly cooked, rub some salt into the top of it and flip it over to brown off the top.
- Once the salmon is cooked, set it aside and grill the sweet potatoes.
- Place your salad on the plate and add your salmon and sweet potatoes to that bed.
- Enjoy with a nice glass of red wine!
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use salmon fillets with the skin off?
You can, but youโll lose the crispy skin, which is one of the better textural contrasts in this dish. Skinless fillets cook slightly faster, so watch the heat and pull them off as soon as the flesh is opaque all the way through.
Can I make this with frozen salmon?
Yes โ thaw it fully in the fridge overnight and pat it very dry before it goes in the pan. Excess surface moisture from frozen fish is the main reason the skin sticks or steams instead of crisping.
What can I use instead of broad beans if I canโt find them?
Edamame (shelled) is the most practical substitute โ same size, similar texture, and widely available frozen. Blanch from frozen for about two minutes.
Is this good served cold as a packed lunch?
It works well cold, with one adjustment: skip the butter-fry and use olive-oil-seared salmon instead, since cold butter-cooked fish can taste a bit heavy. Pack the dressing separately and add it when youโre ready to eat.