salmon souvlaki with herby sundried tomato olive tapenade
If you want quick, healthy, colorful, and salmon, this here Salmon Souvlaki with Herby Sundried Tomato Olive Tapenade is your ticket to the Mediterranean without, well, an actual ticket.
As recent as a couple years ago, probably, I couldn’t even pronounce souvlaki. I might still mess up, who knows. My mouth forms the sounds soo-VLAH-key. Please correct me if I’m falsely led.
Pronounce it how you want, if you don’t simplify matters with the word delicious attached to this combination, you’re wrong. Weeknight dinner done, featuring an array of spices, balsamic vinegar, and herbs covering tender salmon filets and emphasized by an olive tapenade easy to blend up in a food processor and throw on just about anything you want.
First off, so to not frighten you that I lied about the “quick” part, the hour marinade suggested in the recipe card is what I’d recommend you do if you have the prep time. 10 minutes is certainly enough to infuse the fish with the lovely Mediterranean flavors, but an hour is the golden ticket (again, no ticket, sorry) to an insanely happy marriage.
Once the salmon is ready, pan-sear to create a crispy exterior and a light, flaky interior. I used to suck at pan searing, and sometimes I still do, but I’m finding for certain dishes the method works better than baking. If you’re averted to using a skillet, baking at 425 for 12-15 minutes is a suitable alternative.
The tapenade ingredients take a blissful vacation in a food processor and whips into a tangy, salsa-like accompaniment for your build-a-bowl adventure. Olives, sundried tomatoes, parsley, dill, basil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. That’s it! If you have leftovers, try it as a sandwich spread or a dip for pita chips.
The bowl component of the dinner is totally customizable. I started with a pillowy homemade naan loaf to house a bed of arugula, some sliced cherry tomatoes, and a few hunks of feta. A swirl of tzaziki (my Greek kryptonite) and the salmon filet followed, then a cap of tapenade. No scientific method here. Hummus, some avocado wedges, sauteed zucchini, cucumber rounds, and roasted red peppers work great if you want a bigger swath of ingredients to grace your dinner table.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More simple salmon dinners:
Sheetpan Blood Orange Pomegranate Salmon
Skillet Miso Brown Butter Salmon
Spinach Artichoke Salmon Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4 4-6 oz filets salmon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp oregano, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- pinch red pepper flakes
- pinch each kosher salt and pepper
- 1 cup tzaziki, homemade or store bought
- naan or pita, rice, fresh vegetables, to serve
sundried tomato olive tapenade
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp dill
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry salmon filets. In a bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, parsley, dill, oregano, garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add salmon to a large ziploc bag and pour marinade overtop. Seal bag and toss salmon to and fro until well-coated. Marinate in the fridge at least an hour, or up to 6.
- Prepare the tapenade. In the bowl of a food processor, add all tapenade ingredients. Whiz until finely chopped and no large chunks of any ingredient remain. Pour into a bowl, seal, and chill until ready to serve.
- When salmon are finished marinating, preheat a large skillet with 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil over medium-high heat. Remove salmon from the bag with a pair of tongues, discarding remaining marinade. Place in the skillet skin-side down and sear 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip and sear 4-5 minutes more. Scoot skillet off the heat.
- To serve, add naan, pita, rice, or grain of choice to a plate or bowl. Smear tzaziki on one side then top with a salmon filet. Add fresh halved cherry tomatoes, greens, grilled vegetables of choice, even a dollop of hummus if you wish. Finish with a spoonful of tapenade and a squeeze of lemon juice.
