9 Fresh, Easy Ways to Cook Salmon This Spring

Something about salmon feels so right for spring. Maybe it’s the fact that it manages to feel simultaneously rich and light. Maybe it’s the fact that, just like the best of spring produce, it requires so little effort to extract maximum flavor. Pairing a simple piece of crispy-skinned fish with an equally low-lift spring vegetable is elegant and easy. Here are nine salmon recipes that are perfect for spring (though, of course, they’d be delicious any time of year).

01 of 09

Sheet-Pan Salmon With Cabbage and Mushrooms

This sheet pan meal features hearty cabbage and mushrooms, making it feel particularly substantial and meaty for a pescatarian meal. The key to unlocking the most flavor in your spices—turmeric, cumin, fennel, and paprika—is to bloom them in oil before brushing them over the vegetables.

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02 of 09

Mustardy Salmon and Asparagus Packet Dinner

Borrow a French technique to achieve easy tender and juicy salmon. Simply brush the fish with mustard, then let the juices from the fish and asparagus mingle to create their own powerfully flavored sauce, all in a packet of foil that prevents messy cleanup.

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03 of 09

Easy One-Bowl Salmon and Bean Salad

When you want to eat salmon cold as part of a salad—perfect for the spring and summer months—poaching is the way to go. It gives you tender, flaky fish that makes the perfect elegant protein for a lemony, peppery arugula salad fortified with chewy cranberry beans.

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04 of 09

Warm Couscous Salad With Salmon and Mustard-Dill Dressing

This one-bowl dinner features one of the greatest flavor trios of all time: mustard, salmon, and dill. Couscous is a fluffy, chewy neutral base that offsets the rich flavors of the fish, the grassy dill, and the tang of the mustard.

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05 of 09

Easy Teriyaki-Glazed Salmon, Cucumber, and Avocado Rice Bowls

One of the greatest things you can do for yourself when you have a busy week ahead is to make a big batch of homemade teriyaki sauce. With it, you can make a salmon that caramelizes in the oven, coated in a sticky sweet-savory sauce that’s perfectly countered by a cool and crunchy cucumber and chewy sushi rice—all in just 20 minutes.

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06 of 09

Poached Salmon With Dill-Yogurt Sauce

Here’s another case for both poaching salmon and pairing it with the floral and fresh flavors of dill. This recipe walks you through starting it in cold water, slowly heating it to prevent a tough and rubbery texture. An aromatic trio of leeks, celery, and fennel flavor the poaching water, imparting springy flavor into the fish that pairs well with a creamy, tangy yogurt sauce infused with fresh herbs.

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07 of 09

Mini Pineapple-Teriyaki-Glazed Salmon Burgers With Avocado

Another one for the teriyaki lovers. These delightful mini burgers feature teriyaki, reduced alongside soy sauce, vinegar, minced onion, garlic, and ginger to form a glaze that you’ll brush on the burgers toward the end of cooking, so it forms a caramelized crust. A pineapple topping and a Kings Hawaiian roll may have you concerned that these sliders will be too sweet, but the savory fattiness of the salmon and piles of peppery watercress you’ll add to the sandwich make this nuanced and full of umami.

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08 of 09

One-Skillet Salmon With Curried Leeks and Yogurt-Herb Sauce

Sweet, aromatic leeks taste like spring, and here they get meltingly tender and buttery but also infused with warming and nuanced curry spices, serving as a flavorful vegetable bed for a crispy-skinned piece of salmon. Garnish with a cooling and herbaceous yogurt sauce.

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09 of 09

Arugula, Salmon, and Leek Tart

Spring is the season of phenomenal greens, and this savory tart is fittingly packed with peppery arugula. You’ll prep it in two ways: chop it and cook it with leeks, then fold that mixture into the tart. Then, reserve some of it to be dressed and served raw on top of the tart. Salmon provides richness that fits with the custardy eggs and cream in the tart, but also adds savory flavor that’s essential to cut through the neutral creaminess. This is the perfect thing to take to a spring picnic or potluck, since it’s designed to be served at room temperature.

Get Recipe: Arugula, Salmon, and Leek Tart Recipe

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