Mediterranean Salmon Buddha Bowl
This salmon buddha bowl is packed full of protein, fresh vegetables, and a creamy homemade tzatziki sauce. The recipe is very versatile with lots of options to use up ingredients you have on hand or to make it to your own tastes.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Mediterranean Salmon
- ½ pound salmon filets I buy mine with the skin on from Costco
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Tsatsiki
- 1 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 cup grated cucumber make sure and squeeze after it is grated to get all the liquid out.
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Cooked farro
- 4 cups water or broth you can use vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup farro
- 1 teaspoon salt
Caramelized onions
- 4 cups sliced onion
- ¼ cup olive oil
Bowl ingredients
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped cucumbers
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- 1 cup feta cheese
- ½ cup chickpeas
- 1 ½ cups fresh spinach
Instructions
Cooked farro
- Add the water, salt, and farro to your Instant Pot. Seal and set to cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then release the pressure. If there is excess liquid, drain the liquid off.
Caramelized onions
- Heat your pan over medium heat. Once it is heated, add the olive oil and heat.
- Add the sliced onions to the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for at least 15-25 minutes.
- The onions will start to cook down and caramelize. You can add a touch of water if they start to dry out a bit.
- Keep mixing occasionally. When they are caramelized, remove the from the heat and set them aside for serving.
Mediterranean salmon
- Heat your nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once it is heated, add the olive oil and let this heat until it is hot.
- Add in the salmon, skin side down. Sprinkle the filets with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
- Let this cook for 3 minutes on one side. It will cook quickly as the pan and oil are very hot.
- Flip the salmon over and peel off the skin. This is a nice trick for easily removing the skin. Simply cook it on high heat in olive oil for a few minutes, it will peel right off. I use small tongs to peel it off.
- Once it has cooked a couple of minutes on the other side, use a fork to break apart the salmon into chunks.
- Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and mix and cook for a few more minutes. Remember, these cook quickly, so don't overcook them. Remove from the pan and set it aside to cool while you prep everything else.
Tzatziki
- Combine all ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then taste. It is all about creating just the right amount of salt and lemon juice. So, you might need to add a little more of one or the other to get it just right.
Putting it all together
- Once all the foods are ready, assemble your bowls!
Video
Notes
- This is a slow-food dish, meaning it won't come together in 10 minutes. But, with the combination of flavors, it is worth it!
- I like to have all the food cooked at the same time. Start the farro first. While it is cooking, caramelize the onions. While the onions are cooking, start the salmon. This will help cut down on time and keep everything moving along.
- If you are not a fan of kalamata olives, you can always use black or green olives.
- All the add-ins are optional. Add whatever you like to these bowls.
- Salmon does not reheat well, but you can still use these buddha bowls as meal prep. Simply serve the salmon cold. It will hold well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Farro can also be cooked on the cooktop. Just know it will take at least an hour and you might need to add in a little more liquid.
- I do not recommend canned salmon for this recipe as it just does not cook or taste the same as a filet.
- You can use fresh salmon filets or frozen ones. If you are using frozen, just be sure to thaw first. You can do this overnight in the fridge or on the counter for about 1 hour.