Whenever I’ve had a salmon rice bowl in the past, they were always Asian flavors, perhaps teriyaki with some white or brown rice. They are always delicious, but this time I’m putting a Mediterranean diet twist on the classic rice bowl by using Greek flavors.
For starters I prepared the salmon by keeping it really simple. I brushed on some olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and into the oven it went.
Instead of plain sticky rice, I made a simple rice pilaf, by sautéing some chopped onion, adding some Mediterranean herbs, then cooking the rice with vegetable broth. You can use chicken or seafood broth if you prefer.
On the side I steamed some broccoli florets. I love a healthy bunch of broccoli in a rice bowl for the crunch, the greenery, and the added nutrition. And I just love broccoli.
To top it all off I made some homemade tzatziki sauce. You can find my recipe for tzatziki sauce here.
This whole dish came together in about 30 minutes. It’s a quick, healthy dinner that packs a lot of flavor and nutrition. Enjoy!
Greek-Inspired Salmon Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 10-12 oz salmon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 3 sprigs thyme
Simple Rice Pilaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup long-grain rice such as jasmine
- 1 tsp dried Mediterranean herbs
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Extras
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 2 tbsp tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Rub olive oil into the salmon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Remove thyme before serving.
Rice Pilaf
- Warm olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion to a saucepan. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add rice and stir to coat with the oil. Cook for 1 minute to warm up the rice.
- Add vegetable broth and dried herbs. Stir. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover the suacepan and let simmer for 20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Broccoli
- Place broccoli florets in a wide frying pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water. Cover, and allow to steam until softened, about 10 minutes.
Assemby
- To assemble the rice bowl, place a large scoop of rice to the bowl, pushing most of it to one side. Add a 4-5-ounce piece of cooked salmon. Arrange the broccoli florets around. Add a big spoonful of tzatziki sauce in the center.
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