Salmon Veggie Bowl with Peanut Thai Sauce
Peanut butter,
Chickpeas,
Salmon.
No, this isn’t some weird Haiku. But if I would have taken a look at those three ingredients a few months ago and guessed that I’d be mixing them up in the same bowl, I wouldn’t have believed it.
You can’t put peanut butter and fish in the same dish, ew!
Silly me. Yes, you can. And it’s delicious.
Enter Alexis Joseph (otherwise known by her infamous blog, Hummusapien, or her 614-famous fresh juice bar Alchemy, OR the newest OSU eatery concept Trism… does this woman ever sleep?!) and her ever-evolving website of drool worthy breakfast, dinner, dessert, and anything else recipes. I came across her recipe for a Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowl and I was intrigued. Because I was planning a dinner to make for my always hungry boyfriend (not as easy as whipping up spaghetti and meatballs, as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts that he’s gluten free), I knew I wanted a heaping dish that included protein and a generous helping of carbs. Lucky for me, he’s usually game to try out anything new I’ve been considering. This was the perfect opportunity to try out Alexis’ Thai peanut sauce, yum!
Time for Salmon and Veggies
I started by throwing a few of my favorites veggies (broccoli, brussel sprouts, and carrots) onto a baking sheet with raw chickpeas and roasting them in the oven until slightly crispy. Although the chickpeas won’t get all the way “crunchy”, I usually know my veggies are done roasting when the little tree tips of my broccoli pieces start to turn black. Crispy broccoli is the BEST. Why didn’t mom try that when I was younger?? I started brown rice on the stove in the meantime, which normally takes anywhere from 15-20 minutes to fully cook through. This dish would also be great with quinoa or cous cous for a healthier option—get creative!
With the boyf on salmon patrol (although I’m not a vegetarian, I don’t eat fish or meat often enough to know how to cook it well, sigh) I will admit that I hesitated a bit on jumping right into the peanut thai sauce. I looked at my countertop and saw the ingredients sitting in front of me.
Nope. This will not taste good.
Well, obviously it ended up tasting good or I wouldn’t be crazy about this recipe and sharing it with all of you! I’ve made Alexis’ peanut sauce a several times now, and I have made a few adaptations. Personally, I have found that the recipe is a bit too liquid-y for me and I have to add more peanut butter and maple syrup until the consistency is right. Before I knew it, I was using half a contained of peanut butter and had a LOT of sauce to go with not as much veggie and salmon bowl.
I ended up using a little less almond/cashew milk than what was called for. Perfect! My final recipe for the sauce is at the bottom of the post.
Salmon Seasoning to Die For
I checked back in on the salmon as it just finished up searing on the stovetop. We used a seafood seasoning I don’t think I can ever break away from no matter what the recipe entails, and it’s called Fisherman’s Wharf.
It’s good. On any fish. In any dish. I’m drooling.
Thanks to GF BF for the flawless hand modeling. PS, he made this coffee table himself, check out Blockhead Built for other unique and custom tables, cutting boards, etc.
Anyway, back to dinner! Because any dish can be made better with avocado, I sliced one up to prep for the bowl.
Once everything was cooked and ready to go, we each assembled our own bowls by layering quinoa, roasted veggies, salmon, sliced avocado, and the creamy thai sauce. Dinner was a hit, and we even had leftovers for the next day’s lunch. That’s a win in my book! (Hi to my reflection in the moscow mule mug which is currently doubling as a cup for tea. I can’t have it all together at the same time, ookay?) Check out the recipe below!
Salmon Veggie Bowl with Peanut Thai Sauce Recipe
Salmon Veggie Bowl with Peanut Thai Sauce
This salmon, veggie, and rice bowl can easily be made without meat for a filling meal with added plant protein and a yummy peanut thai sauce.
Ingredients
Bowl Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice, quinoa, or cous cous
- 1-15 oz can chickpeas
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup brussel sprouts, chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 4 salmon filets
- 1 tbsp Fisherman's Wharf seasoning
Peanut Sauce Ingredients (inspired by Hummusapien's recipe):
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp almond or cashew milk
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup
- pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
-
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place chopped veggies and chickpeas on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, stirring around baking sheet to mix in.
3. Roast for 20-23 minutes. Stir halfway through.
4. While the veggies are in the oven, cook the brown rice (or quinoa/cous cous) on the stove, following package instructions.
5. Season salmon with olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasoning of choice (my love is Fisherman's Wharf), then sear on cooktop for 8 minutes on each side, until flaky.
6. Place peanut butter in a microwaveable bowl and heat in microwave oven for about 20 seconds (optional, but this will make it easier to stir). Add almond milk, soy sauce, maple syrup, and red pepper flakes and whisk until smooth.
Assemble bowls by placing brown rice in the bottom and topping with veggies, sliced avocado, seared salmon, and a drizzle of peanut thai sauce.
